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LIBRARY 


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A 


TOUR 


THROUGH 


SICILIT  ANB  MALTA. 


IN   A 

SERIES    OF  LETTERS 

TO 

WILLIAM   BECKFORD,   Es^, 

OF  SOMERLY  IN  SUFFOLK  ,* 

FROM 

P.  BRYDOJVE,  F.  R.  S. 


NEW-YORK : 
PUBLISHED  BY  EVERT  DUYCKINCK, 

:S^o,  102  Pearl-Street. 

J.  C.  TOTTF.y,  PRINTER. 

1813. 


ADVERTISEMENT.  ZB  q  /  /  T' 


JTAD  there  been  any  book  in  our  language  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  following  Letters,  they  never  should  have  seen 
the  light.  The  Author  wrote  them  for  the  amusement 
of  his  friends,  and  as  an  assistance  to  his  memory ;  and  if 
it  will  in  any  degree  apologize  for  their  imperfections,  he 
can  with  truth  declare  that  they  never  were  intended  for 
publication  :  nor  indeed  was  that  idea  suggested  to  him, 
till  long  after  they  were  written.  One  principal  motive 
be  will  own,  was  the  desire  of  giving  to  the  world,  and 
perhaps  of  transmitting  to  posterity,  a  monument  of  his 
friendship  with  the  gentleman  to  whom  ihey  are  ad- 
dressed. 

When  Mr.  Forster's  translation  of  Baron  Reidesel's 
book  first  appeared,  these  Letters  were  already  in  the 
press,  and  the  author  apprehended  an  anticipation  of  his 
subject;  however,  on  perusal,  he  had  the  satisfaction  to 
find,  that  the  two  works  did  not  much  interfere. 

In  transcribing  them  for  the  press,  he  found  it  neces- 
sary both  to  retrench  and  to  amplify;  by  which  the  ease 
of  the  epistolary  style  has  probably  suffered,  and  some 
of  the  letters  have  been  extended  much  beyond  their 
original  length. 

He  now  presents  them  to  the  public  with  the  greatest 
diffidence  ;  hoping  that  some  allowance  will  be  made  for 
the  very  inconvenient  circumstances,  little  favourable  to 
order  or  precision,  in  which  many  of  them  are  written  : 
but  he  would  not  venture  to  new-model  them ;  apprehend- 
ing, that  what  they  might  gain  in  form  and  expression, 
they  would  probably  lose  in  ease  and  simplicity ;  and  well 
knowing  that  the  original  impressions  are  belter  describ- 
ed at  the  moment  they  are  felt,  that  from  tl^e  most  exact 
recollection. 


308972 


CONTENTS. 


LETTER  I. 

CLIMATE  of  Naples,  Compared  with  that  of  Rome.  Sirocc 
wiiid.  Antidote  ag-ainst  its  effects.  Coast  of  Baia,  &c.      Page  1 

LETTER  II. 

Voyage  from  Naples  to  Messina,  Bay  of  Naples,  Lipari  islands', 
Strombolo,  Scylla,  Calabria,  &c.  P.  7 

LETTER  III. 

Harbour  of  Messina,   Charybdis,  Galleys.     Visit  to  a  Convent. 
Feast  of  St.  Francis.     Advantag-es  of  Messina  for  valetudina- 
rians. P.  21 
LETTER  IV. 

Sicilian  banditti.  A  famous  diver.  Charybdis.  Feast  of  the 
Vara.     Singular  phenomena.  P.  29 

LETTER  V. 

Journey  to  Taurominum.  Coast  of  Sicily.  Nebrodes.  Theatre 
of  Taurominum.     Naumachia.     Reservoirs,  &c  P.  3\^ 

LETTER  VI. 

Journey  to  Jaci,  Mount  ^tna,  Piedmonte.  Small  volcanoes. 
Torrent  of  boiling  water.  Great  chesnut  trees.  Age  of  the 
lava.     River  of  Acis.  P.  43 

LETTER  VII. 

Journey  from  Jaci  to  Catania,  Coast  formed  of  lava.  Conflict  be- 
tween the  fire  and  water.  Harbour  of  lava.  St.  Agatha's  veil. 
Its  power  over  Mount  iEtna.  Great  antiquity  of  the  eruptions 
of  this  mountain.     '  P.  52 

LETTER  \TII. 

Prince  of  Biscaris,  His  museum.  Convent  of  Benedictines.  Lava 
run  over  the  walls  of  Catania.  Antiquity  of  this  city.  Rev- 
enue of  the  bishop  raised  from  the  sale  of  the  snow  of  jEtna. 
Earthquake  1693.  Antiquities,  Elephant  of  iava.  Heathen 
temple  converted  into  a  church.  Resemblance  of  the  Catholic 
to  the  Pagan  rites.  Saints  disgraced.  Devotion  of  the  Catho- 
lics.    Preparations  for  ascending  Mount  JEtna.  P,  55 

LETTER  IX. 

Journay  up  Mount  iEtna,  Three  regions  of  the  mountain.  Com- 
mon progress  of  an  eruption.  Lesser  mountains  formed  on  ^t- 
na.  Difference  of  ^tna  and  Vesuvius.  Fate  of  the  country 
near  Hybla,  Montpelieri,  Celebrated  statues  covered  by  the 


30897 


vi.  CONTENTS. 

lava.  Eruption  of  1669.  Dreadful  effects  of  the  lava,  Singu 
lar  fate  of  a  vineyard,  Mouth  from  wnence  this  Ciuption  issu- 
ed. A  cavern.  Wildness  of  the  inhabitants  of  ^Lna,  Conver- 
sation with  them.  La  Regione  Syivosa,  La  Speionca  del  Cap- 
riole. "View  of  the  setting  sun.  Pass  the  night  in  a  cavern. 
Eruption  ir66.     Lava  not  yet  cold.  Its  vast  depth.  P.  64 

LETTER  X. 

Continuation  of  the  journey  up  Mount  JEtna,  Difficulties  attend- 
ing it.  Torre  del  Filosofo.  Distinctness  of  vision.  Conical 
mountain.  Summit  of  iEtna,  Prospect  from  it.  Regions  of  the 
mountain,  Crater,  Reflections,  Descent  from  .astna.  P.  74 

LETTER  XI. 

Mensuration  of  heights  by  the  barometer.  Not  reduced  to  a  cer- 
tainty. Supposed  height  of  .Etna.  Magnetical  needle  agita- 
ted on  the  mountain.  Electricity  of  the  air  near  volcanoes. 
Singular  effects  of  electricity.  Lightning  from  the  smoke  of 
^tna.  Variety  of  the  waters  on  the  mountain.  Subterrane- 
ous river.  Periodical  and  poisonous  springs,  Caverns,  Plants 
and  flowers  of  iEtna,  Wild  beasts,  Horses,  Cattle.  Crater  falls 
in  every  century.  Anfinomus  and  Anapias,  their  filial  piety. 
Earthquake  1169.  Eruption  1669.  Poetical  descriptions  of, 
iEtna.  P.  85 

LETTER  XII. 

Voyage  from  Catania  to  Syracuse.  Coast  formed  by  Mount  JEt- 
na.  Homer  takes  no  notice  of  this  mountain.  Virgil  lands 
his  hero  at  the  foot  of  it.  View  of  the  mountain  from  the  sea. 
Circumference  of  .Etna.  River  Simetus,  Amber  found  near  its 
mouth.  Lakes  of  Beviere  and  Pantana,  Leontine  fields,  Au- 
gusta, Syracuse.  Remains  of  antiquity,  Latomie,  Ear  of  Dio- 
nysius.  Amphitheatre,  Catacombs,  Temples,  Ortigia,  Fortifi- 
cation, Fountain  of  Arethusa,  Fictions  concerning  it.  Alphe- 
us.  Harbours  of  Syracuse.  Archimedes,  His  biu-ning-glasses. 
Magnificence  of  the  ancient  Syracuse,  Poverty  of  the  modern. 

P.  105 

LETTER  XIII, 

Voyage  to  Pachinus  or  Capo  Passero.  Maltese  Sparonaros, 
Method  of  rowing  them.  A  hurricane.  Capo  Passero,  Bar- 
renness of  the  country,  Danger  of  this  coast.  Method  of 
avoiding  it.  P.  119 

LETTER  XIV. 

Sulphureotis  lake.     Serpent.     Voyage  to  Malta.  F.  125 

LETTER  XV. 

Malta,  Its  productions.  Corn,  Cotton,  Oranges.  Industry  of  the 
Maltese,  Departure  of  a  Maltese  fleet.  Harbour  of  Malta, 
Fortifications,  Public  buildings,  Church  of  St.  John.  Conspi- 
racy of  the  Turkish  slaves.  p,  jgS 


CONTENTS.  vU. 

LETTER  XVI. 

Ancient  city  of  Melita.  Catacombs.  Bosquetta.  Statue  and 
grotto  of  St.  Paul.  Miraculous  property.  Grand  Master,  His 
power.  Land  force  of  the  island.  Sea  force.  Singular  piece 
of  ordnance,  Police,  Duelling,  Punishment  of  a  knight.  Re- 
markable storm.  Horse  Races^  Malta  an  epitome  of  Europe, 
Its  connection  with  Sicily.  P.  134 

LETTER  XVIL 

Ss^il  for  Agrigentum,  Island  of  Gozzo,  Coast  of  Sicily.  Ameri- 
can aloes.    City  of  Agrigentum.  P.  143 

LETTER  XVIII. 

Antiquities  of  Agrigentum.  Temples  of  Venus,  Of  Concord,  Of 
Hercules,  Of  Jupiter  Olympus,  &c.  Celebrated  picture  of 
Zeuxis,  Statue  of  Apollo,  Catacombs  and  Sepulchres,  Moun- 
tain of  Agrigentum.  P.  146 

LETTER  XIX. 

Luxury  of  the  ancient  Agrigentum.     Hospitality.     Anecdote. 

Humanity  and  gratitude  to  their  horses.     Agrigentum  long 

subject  to  tyrants.     Phalaris,  anecdote  of  him.     Menalippus 

and  Cariton,  their  friendship.     Death  of  Phalaris.  P.  150 

LETTER  XX. 

Country  round  Agrigentum.  A  feast.  Hospitality  of  the  Agri- 
gentini.  Their  character.  The  bishop.  Departure  for  Trapuni. 
Sea  storm.  Driven  back  to  Agrigentum.  Journey  by  land 
to  Palermo.  Richness  and  beauty  of  the  country.  Poverty 
and  oppression  of  the  peasants.  P.  156 

LETTER  XXL 

Conclusion  of  the  Journey  to  Palermo.  Contrast  betwixt  Sicily 
ami  Switzerland.    Inns,  &c.  p.  155 

LETTER  XXIL 

City  of  Palermo.  Marino.  Conversations,  where  lield.  Sicilian 
ladies.     Reflections.  p.  170 

LETTER  XXni. 

The  viceroy.  His  table.  Nobility,  their  temperance.  Gallantry. 
Young  ladies,  their  education.  P.  174 

LETTER  XXIV. 

Bagaria.  Palace  of  the  Prince  Patagonia.  P.  177 

LETTER  XXV. 

Sirocc  wind.   Convent  of  Capuchins,  Their  burial  place.  Method 

of  preserving  the  dead,     Anecdote.     Address  of  a  Sicilian 

servant.  p  X82 

LETTER  XXVI. 

Account  oC  a  comet.    Reflections.  P.  195 


viii  CONTENTS. 

LETTER  XXVII. 

Cathedral  of  Palermo.  Jesuits' church.  Cathedral  of  Monreal. 
The  arclibishop.  Preparations  for  a  festival.  Superstition  of 
.the  people.  p.  206 

LETTER  XXVIII. 
vSt.  Rosolia.  Subject  of  an  Epic  Poem.  Some  account  of  her.   St. 
Viar.     Reflections.  P.  210 

LETTER  XXIX. 
Sirocc  wind.   Review  of  a  Swiss  regiment.    Entertainment.    Dif- 
ference of  education  here  and  on  the  continent.     Prince  of 
Rosuttana.  P.  214 

LETTER  XXX. 
Feast  of  St.  Rosolia.  p.  222 

LETTER  XXXL 
Antiquities.    Camasena.     Temple  of  Ceres  at  Enna.    Temple  of 
Venus  Erecina.     Difference  of  Homer  and  Virgil  in  their  ac- 
counts of  Sicily.  P.  234 
LETTER  XXXII. 
Monte  Pelegrino.     St.  Rosolia.     Ancient  fortress.     Situation  of 
Palermo.    Antiquity  of  that  city,  Inscriptions.                P.  239 

LETTER  XXXIII. 

Utility  of  ices  in  a  hot  climate.  Sicilian  fisheries,  The  tunny- 
fish,  The  pesce  spada  or  sword-fish.  Method  of  fishing  in  the 
night,  Coral  fishing.  Oppression  of  the  government.  Founda- 
tion of  the  feudal  system  in  Sicily,  Parliament,  Inquisition, 
Power  of  the  viceroy.  Military  force.  Bandiere  men.  P.  244 
LETTER  XXXIV. 

Sicilian  titles.  Luxury  of  the  Sicilians  in  their  carriages.  Ridi- 
culous prejudice.  P.  253 

LETTER  XXXV. 

Sicilians  animated  in  conversation.  Marriage  ceremonies.  Beau- 
ty of  the  ladies.  Anecdote.  Poetry  the  universal  passion  of 
the  Sicilians.  P.  257 

LETTER  XXXVI. 

The  opera,  Gabrielli,  her  wonderful  performance.  Her  caprice. 
Ballet  of  the  opera.  English  characters  taken  off.  Enmity 
betwixt  the  Sicilians  and  Neapolitans.  P.  261 

LETTER  XXXVII. 

Remarkable  springs  in  Sicily,  Sulphureous  baths.  Springs  of 
warm  water  in  the  sea,  Gigantic  bones.  Crops  of  wheat.  Me- 
thod of  preserving  their  grain.  Commodities  of  Sicily,  Soda, 
Wild  honey,  Sugar,  Liquorice,  Oranges,  Pistachio  nuts,  Man- 
na, Cantharides,  Marbles,  Pietra  Saponuro,  Mushroom  stone, 
&c.  Mount  JEtna,  Advantages  resulting  from  it.  P.  268 

LETTER  XXXVni. 

Return  to  Naples.  P.  273 


TOUR 

THROUGH 

SICILY    AND    MALTA, 


LETTER  I. 

NafilesyMay  14.  1770. 


DEAR   BECKrORD, 


I  Remember  to  have  heard  you  regret,  that  in  all  your 
peregrinations  through  Europe,  you  had  ever  neglect- 
•ed  the  island  of  Sicily ;  and  had  spent  much  of  your 
time  in  running  over  the  old  beaten  tract,  and  in  examin- 
ing the  thread-bare  subjects  of  Italy  and  France ;  when 
probably  there  were  a  variety  of  objects  not  less  interest- 
ing that  still  lay  buried  in  oblivion  in  that  celebrated  island. 
VVe  intetid  to  profit  from  this  hint  of  yours — FuUarton 
has  been  urging  me  to  it  with  all  that  ardour,  which  a  new 
prospect  of  acquiring  knowledge  ever  inspires  in  him  ; 
and  Glover,  your  old  acquaintance,  has  promised  to  ac- 
company us. 

The  Italians  represent  it  as  impossible :  as  there  are 
no  inns  in  the  island,  and  many  of  the  roads  are  over  dan- 
gerous precipices,  or  through  bogs,  and  forests,  infested 
with  the  most  resolute  and  daring  banditti  in  Europe. 
However,  all  these  considerations,  formidable  as  they  may- 
appear,  did  not  deter  Mr.  Hamilton,*  his  lady,  and  Lord 
Fortrose.f  They  made  this  expedition  last  summer; 
and  returned  so  much  delighted  with  it,  that  they  have 
animated  «s  with  the  strongest  desire  of  enjoying  the 
same  pleasure. 

*  Now  Knight  of  the  Bath.        j  Now  Ear  1  of  Seaforth. 
B 


^  A  Tour  through 

Our  inst  plan  was  to  go  by  land  to  Regiutr,  and  froni. 
thence  cross  over  to  Messina;  but  on  making  exact  in- 
quiry, with  regard  to  the  state  of  the  country,  and  method 
of  travelling,  we  find  that  the  danger  from  the  banditti  in 
Calabria  and  Apulia  is  so  great,  the  accommodation  so 
wretched,  and  inconveniencesof  every  kind  so  numerous, 
without  any  consideration  whatever  to  throw  into  the 
opposite  scale,  that  we  soon  relinquished  that  scheme ; 
and  in  ppiie  of  all  the  terrors  of  Scylla  and  Charybdis, 
and  the  more  real  terrors  of  sea- sickness  (the  most  for- 
midable monster  of  the  three,)  we  have  determined  to  go 
by  water ;  and,  that  no  time  may  be  lost,  we  have  already 
taken  our  passage  on  board  an  English  ship,  which  is  rea- 
dy to  sail  with  the  first  fair  wind. 

Now,  as  this  little  expedition  has  never  been  consider- 
ed as  any  part  of  this  grand  tour  ;  and  as  it  will  probably 
present  many  objects  worthy  of  your  attention,  not  men- 
tioned in  any  of  our  books  of  travels  ;  I  flatter  myself 
that  a  short  account  of  these  will  not  be  unacceptable  to 
you,  and  may  in  some  degree  make  up  for  your  having 
neglected  to  visit  them.  You  may  therefore  expect  to 
hear  of  me,  frorb-every  town  where  we  stop  ;  and  when  I 
meet  with  any  deserving  of  notice,  I  shall  attempt  to  des- 
cribe it  in  as  few  words  as  possible.  We  have  been  wait- 
ing with  impatience  for  a  fair  wind,  but  at  present  there 
is  little  prospect  of  it.  The  weather  is  exceedingly 
rough,  and  not  a  ship  has  been  able  to  get  out  of  the  har- 
bour for  upwards  of  three  weeks  past.  This  climate  is 
by  no  means  what  we  expected  to  find  it ;  and  the  serene 
sky  of  Italy,  so  much  boasted  of  by  our  travelled  gentle- 
men, does  not  altogether  deserve  the  great  eulogiums 
bestowed  upon  it.  It  is  now  the  middle  of  May,  and  we 
have  not  as  yet  had  any  continuance  of  what  may  be  cal- 
led fine  weather.  It  has  indeed,  been  abundantly  warm, 
but  seldom  a  day  has  passed  without  sudden  storms  of 
wind  and  rain,  which  render  walking  out  here  to  the  full 
as  dangerous  to  our  invalids,  as  it  is  in  England. 

I  am  persuaded  that  our  physicians  are  under  some  mis- 
take with  regard  to  this  climate.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the 
warmest  in  Italy  ;  but  it  is  as  certainly  one  of  the  most 
inconstant,  and,  from  what  we  have  observed,  disagrees 
with  the  greatest  part  of  our  valetudinarians ;  but  more 
particularly  with  the  gouty  people;  who  have  all  found 


Sicily  and  Malta  >  3 

rtiemsclves  better  at  Rome  ;  which,  though  much  colder 
In  winter,  is,  I  believe,  a  healthier  climate.  Naples,  to  be 
sure,  is  more  eligible  in  summer,  as  the  air  is  consiantly 
fefreshed  by  the  sea-breeze,  when  Rome  is  often  scorched 
by  the  most  insupportable  heat.  Last  summer,  Fahren- 
heit's thermometer  never  rose  higher  at  Naples  than  sev- 
enty-six. At  Rome  it  was  eighty-nine.  The  difference 
is  often  still  more  considerable.  In  winter  it  is  not  les3 
remarkable.  Here,  our  greatest  degree  of  cold  was  in 
the  end  of  January  ;  the  thermometer  stood  at  thirty-six  > 
at  Rome  it  fell  to  twenty-seven  ;  so  that  the  distance 
between  the  two  extremes  of  heat  and  cold  bst  year  at 
Naples,  was  only  forty  degrees  ;  whereas- at  Rome  it  was 
no  les<5  than  sixty-two.  Yet,  by  all  accounts,  their  >vinier 
was  much  more  agreeable  and  heiilthy  than  ours :  for 
they  had  clear,  frosty  weather,  whilst  wc  were  deluged 
with  rains,  accompanied  with  very  high  wind.  The  peo- 
ple here  assure  us,  that  in  some  seasons  it  has  rained  ev- 
ery day  for  six  or  seven  weeks.  But  the  most  disagreea- 
ble part  of  the  Neapolitan  climate  is  the  si«'occ  or  south-east 
wind,  which  is  very  common  at  this  season.  It  is  infinite- 
more  relaxing,  and  gives  tlie  vapours  in  a  much  higher 
degree,  than  the  worst  of  our  rainy  Novembers.  It  hao 
now  blown  for  these  seven  days  without  intermission  ; 
and  has  indeed  blown  away  all  our  gaiety  and  spirits :  and 
if  it  continues  much  longer,  I  do  not  know  v/hat  may  be 
the  consequence.  It  gives  a  degree  of  lassitude,  both  to 
the  body  and  mind,  that  renders  them  absolutely  incapa- 
ble of  performing  their  usual  functions.  It  is  not  perhaps 
surprising,  that  it  should  produce  these  effects  on  a  phle- 
matic  English  constitution  ;  but  we  have  just  now  an  in- 
stance, that  all  the  mercury  of  France  must  sink  under  the 
load  of  this  horrid,  leaden  atmosphere.  A  smart  Parisian 
marquis  came  here  about  ten  days  ago :  he  was  so  full  of 
animal  spirits  that  the  people  thought  him  mad.  He 
never  remained  a  moment  in  .the  same  place  ;  but,  at 
their  grave  conversations,  used  to  skip  from  room  to  room 
with  such  amazing  elasticity,  that  the  Italians  swore  that 
he  had  gr»t  springs  in  his  shoes.  I  met  him  this  morning, 
walking  with  the  step  of  a  philosopher  ;  a  smelling  botile 
in  his  hand,  and  all  his  vivacity  exiinquished.  I  asked  him 
what  was  the  matter  ?  '^  Ah  !  mon  ami,**  said  he,  "  je 
m'ennui  a  la  mort ; — moi,  qui  n*ai  jamais  scu  i'ennui- 


4  A  Tour  through 

Mais  cet  execrable  vent  m'accable :  et  deux  jours  de  plus, 
et  je  me  pehd" 

The  naiives  themselves  do  not  sufftr  less  than  strangers ; 
and  all  nature  seems  to  languish  during  this  abominable 
wind.  A  Neapolitan  lover  avoids  his  mistress  with  the  ut- 
most care  in  the  time  of  the  sirocc ;  and  the  indolence  it 
inspires  is  alnaost  sufficient  to  extinguish  every  passion. 
All  works  of  genius  are  laid  aside  during  its  continuance  ; 
and  when  any  thing  very  flat  or  insipid  is  produced,  the 
strongest  phrase  of  disapprobation  they  can  bestow,  is, 
*'Era  scritlo  in  tempo  dell  sirocco;"  that  it  was  writ  in 
the  time  of  the  sirocc.  I  shall  make  no  apology  for  this 
letter;  and  whenever  I  happen  to  tire  you,  be  kind  enough 
to  remember  (pray  do)  that  it  is  not  rne  you  are  to  blame, 
but  the  sirocG  wind.  This  will  put  me  much  at  my  ease, 
and  will  save  us  a  world  of  time  and  apologies. 

1  have  been  endeavouring  to  i^et  some  account  of  the 
c?.use  of  this  very  singular  quality  of  the  sirocc  ;  but  the 
people  here  seldom  think  of  accounting  for  any  thing  ; 
and  I  do  not  find,  notwithstanding  its  remarkable  effects, 
that  it  has  ever  yet  been  an  object  of  inquiry  amongst 
them. 

I  have  not  observed  that  the  sirocc  makes  any  remarka- 
ble change  in  the  barometer.  When  it  first  set  io,  the 
mercury  fell  about  a  line  and  a  half;  and  has  continued 
much  about  the  same  height  ever  since  ;  but  the  thermo- 
meter was  at  forty-three  tne  morning  it  began,  and  rose 
almost  immediately  to  sixty-five  ;  and  for  these  twe  days 
past  it  has  been  at  seventy  and  seventy-one.  However, 
it  is  ceriainly  not  the  warmth  of  this  wind  that  renders  it 
so  oppressive  to  the  spirits  ;  it  is  rather  the  Wint  of  that 
genidl  quality,  which  is  so  enlivening,  and  which  even 
renders  the  western  breeze  so  agreeable :  the  spring  and 
clas'lcitv  of  the  air  seems  to  be  lost ;  and  that  active  prin- 
ciple which  animates  all  nature,  appears  to  be  dead.  This 
principle  we  hav  supposed  to  be  nothing  else  than  the 
subtle  electric  fluid  that  the  air  usually  contains ;  and  in- 
deed v/e  have  found,  that  during  this  wind,  it  appears  to 
be  almost  annihilated,  or  at  least  its  activity  exceedingly 
reduced.  Yesterday,  and  to-day,  we  have  been  attempt- 
ing to  make  some  electrical  experiments ;  but  I  never 
before  found  the  air  so  unfavourable  for  them. 

Sea-bathing  we  have  found  to  be  the  best  anlidotjs 


Sicily  and  Malta.  5 

agMnst  the  effects  of  the  sirocc  ;  and  this  we  certainly  en- 
joy in  great  perfection.  Lord  Fortrose,  who  is  the  soul  ot 
our  colony  here,  has  provided  a  large  commodious  boat 
for  this  purpose.  We  meet  every  morning  at  eight  o'clock^ 
and  row  about  half  a  mile  out  to  sea,  where  we  strip  and 
plunge  into  the  water  :  were  it  not  for  this,  we  should  all 
of  us  have  been  as  bad  as  the  French,  marquis.  My  lord 
has  ten  watermen,  who  are  in  reality  a  sort  of  amphibious 
animals,  as  they  live  one  half  of  the  summer  in  the  sea. 
Xhree  or  four  of  these  generally  go  in  with  us,  to  pick  up 
stragglers,  and  secure  us  from  all  accidents.  They  dive 
with  ease  to  the  depth  of  forty,  and  sometimes  of  fifty 
feet,  and  bring  up  quantities  of  excellent  shell-fish  during 
the  summer  months  ;  but  so  great  is  their  devotion,  that 
every  time  they  go  down  they  make  the  sign  of  the  cross^ 
and  mutter  an  Ave  Maria,  without  which  they  should  cer- 
tainly be  drowned  ;  and  were  not  a  little  scandalized  at  us 
for  omitting  this  ceremony.  To  accustom  us  to  swim- 
ming in  all  circumstances,  my  lord  has  provided  a  suit  of 
clothes,  which  we  wear  by  turns  ;  and  from  a  very  short 
practice,  we  have  found  it  alnwst  as  commodious  to  swim 
with  as  without  them  :  we  have  likewise  learned  to  strip 
in  the  water,  and  find  it  no  very  difficult  matter  :  and  I 
am  fully  persuaded,  from  being  accustomed  to  this  kind 
of  exercise,  that  in  case  of  shipwreck  we  should  have 
greatly  the  advarvtage  over  those  who  had  never  practised 
it ;  for  it  is  by  the  embarrassment  from  the  clothes,  and 
the  agitation  that  people  are  thrown  into,  from  finding 
themselves  in  a  situation  they  had  never  experienced  be- 
forcvthat  so  many  lives  are  lost  in  the  water. 
-  After  bathing,  we  have  an  English  breakfast  at  his  lord- 
ship's ;  and  after  breakfast,  a  delightful  little  concert, 
which  lasts  for  an  hour  and  a  half  13arbella.  the  sweetest 
fiddle  in  Italy,  leads  our  little  band.  This  party,  I  think, 
constitutes  one  principal  part  of  the  pleasure  we  enjoy  at 
Naples.  We  have  likewise  some  very  agreeable  society 
amongst  ourselves,  though  we  cannot  boast  much  of  that 
with  the  inhabitants.  There  are,  to  be  sure,  many  good 
people  among  them  :  but  in  general,  there  is  so  very  little 
analogy  betwixt  an  English  anda  Neapolitan  mind,  that  the 
true  social  harmony,  that  great  sweetener  of  human  life, 
can  seldom  be  produced.  In  lieu  of  this  (the  exchange 
vou  win  say  is  but  a  bad  one)  the  country  round  Napier- 
R2 


6  A  Tour  through 

abounds  so  much  in  every  thing  that  is  curious,  both  in 
art  and  nature,  and  affords  so  ample  a  field  of  speculation 
for  the  naturalist  and  antiquary,  that  a  person  of  any  curi- 
osity may  spend  some  months  here  very  agreeably,  and 
not  without  profit. 

Besides  the  discoveries  of  Herculaneum  and  Pompeia, 
which,  of  themselves,  afford  a  great  fund  of  entertain- 
ment, the  whole  coast  that  surrounds  this  beautiful  bay, 
particularly  that  near  Puzzoli,  Cuma,  Micenum  and  Baia, 
is  covered  with  innumerable  monuments  of  Roman  mag- 
nificence. But  alas!  how  are  the  mighty  fallen  I  This 
delightful  coast,  once  the  garden  of  allhaly,  and  inhabited 
only  by  the  rich,  the  gay,  and  luxurious,  is  now  abandoned 
to  the  poorest  and  most  miserable  of  mortals.  Perhaps 
there  is  no  spot  on  the  globe  that  has  undergone  so  tho- 
rough a  change;  or  that  can  exhibit  so  striking  a  picture 
of  the  vanity  of  human  grandeur  Those  very  walls  that 
once  lodged  a  Caesar,  a  Lucullus,  an  Anthony,  the  richest 
and  most  voluptuous  of  mankind,  are  now  occupied  by 
the  very  meanest  and  most  indigent  wretches  on  earth, 
who  are  actually  starving  for  want  in  those  very  apart- 
ments that  were  the  scenes  of  the  greatest  luxury.  There 
we  are  told  that  suppers  were  frequently  given  that  cost 
fifty  thousand  pounds  ;  and  some  that  even  amounted  to 
double  that  sum. 

The  luxury  indeed  of  Baia  was  so  great,  that  it  became 
a  proverb,  even  amongst  the  luxurious  Romans  them- 
selves ;  and,  at  Rome,  we  often  find  them  upbraiding  with 
effeminacy  and  epicurism,  those  who  spent  much  of  their 
time  in  this  scene  of  delights  ;  Clodius  throws  it  in  Cice- 
ro's teeth  more  than  once  :  and  that  orator's  having  pur- 
chased a  villa  here,  hurt  him  not  a  little  in  the  opinion  of 
the  graver  and  more  austere  part  of  the  senate.  The  walls 
of  these  palaces  still  remain,  and  the  poor  peasants,  in 
some  places,  have  built  up  their  miserable  huts  within 
them  ;  but,  at  present,  there  is  not  one  gentleman  or  man 
of  fashion  residing  in  any  part  of  this  country  ;  the  former 
litate  of  which,  compared  with  the  present,  certainly 
makes  the  most  striking  contrast  imaginable.  Yesterday 
we  rode  over  the  greatest  past  of  it  a-shooting  porcupine, 
a  new  species  of  diversion,  which  I  had  never  heard  of  be- 
fore. We  killed  several  of  these  animals  on  the  Monte 
Barbara,  the  place  that  formerly  produced  the  Falerijian 


Sicily  and  Mafta,  7 

winC)  but  now  a  barren  waste.  I  don't  know  if  you  are 
acquainted  with  this  kind  of  sport.  To  me,  I  own,  its  no- 
velty was  its  greatest  merit  j  and  I  would  not  at  any  lime 
give  a  day  of  partridge  for  a  month  of  porcupine  shooting. 
Neither  indeed  is  the  flesh  of  these  animals  the  most  de- 
licious in  the  world,  though  to-day  most  of  us  have  dined 
upon  it.  It  is  extremely  luscious,  and  soon  palls  upon  the 
appetite. 

We  arc  now  going  to  lay  in  our  sea-store,  as  there  is 
some  probability  that  we  shall  sail  in  a  day  or  two. 
Farewell — you  shall  hear  from  me  again  at  Messina,  if  we 
are  not  swallowed  up  by  Charybdis. 


LETTER  IL 

On  board  the  Charming  Molly ^  off  the 
Island  of  Cafire,  May  1 5 . 

WE  have  now  begun  our  expedition  with  every  aus- 
picious omen.  This  morning  the  melancholy 
sirocc  left  us  ;  and  in  place  of  it  we  have  gotten  a  fine 
brisk  tramontane  (or  North  wind,)  which  in  a  few  hours 
blew  away  all  our  vapours,  and  made  us  wonder  how  much 
the  happiness  of  mankind  depends  on  a  blast  of  wind- 
After  eating  a  hearty  dinner  with  many  of  our  friends  at 
Mr.  Walter's,  and  drinking  plentifully  of  his  excellent 
burgundy,  we  took  leave  in  the  highest  spirits.  Had  the 
sirocc  blown  as  yesterday,  we  should  probably  have  been 
in  tears  ;  and  not  one  of  us  would  have  suspected  that  we 
were  crying  only  because  the  wind  was  in  the  south.  We 
are  not  apt  to  suppose  it ;  but  probably  a  great  part  of  our 
pleasures  and  pains  depend  upon  such  trivial  causes, 
though  always  ascribed  to  something  else  ;  few  people 
being  willing  to  own  themselves  like  a  weathercock,  af- 
fected by  every  blast.  Indeed  we  should  have  naturally 
imputed  it  to  the  grief  of  parting  with  that  excellent  fam- 
ily whom  you  know  so  well ;  which  no  person  could  ever 
leave  without  regret,  or  see  without  pleasure ;  but  the 
agreeable  prospect  of  soon  meeting  again  (probably  better 
qualified  to  amuse  and  entertain  them)  absorbed  all  mel- 
ancholy thoughts,  and  even  added  to  that  alacrity,  which 
th^  delightful  tour  before  us  had  already  inspired. 


9  A  Tour  through 

We  sailed  at  five ;  and  after  firing  our  farewell  signals 
to  our  friends  on  shore  (whom  we  discovered  with  our 
glasses  at  some  miles  distance,)  we  found  ourselves  in 
the  middle  of  the  Bay  of  Naples,  surrounded  by  the  m"Dst 
beautiful  scenery  in  the  world.  It  fell  calm  for  an  hour, 
on  purpose  to  give  us  time  to  contemplate  all  its  beauties. 

The  bay  is  of  a  circular  figure ;  in  most  places  upwards 
of  twenty  miles  in  diameter  ;  so  that,  including  all  its 
breaks  and  inequalities,  the  circumference  is  considera- 
bly more  than  sixty  miles*  The  whole  of  this  space  is  so 
wonderfully  diversified,  by  all  the  riches  both  of  art  and 
nature,  that  there  is  scarce  an  object  wanting  to  render 
the  scene  complete ;  and  it  is  hard  to  say,  whether  the 
view  is  more  pleasing  from  the  singularity  of  many  of 
these  objects,  or  from  the  incredible  variety  of  the  whole. 
You  see  an  amazing  mixture  of  the  ancient  and  modem  ; 
some  rising  to  fame,  and  some  sinking  to  ruin.  Palaces 
reared  over  the  tops  of  other  palaces,  and  ancient  magni- 
ficence trampled  uader  foot— by  modern  folly. — Moun- 
tains and  islands,  that  were  celebrated  for  their  fertility^ 
changed  into  barren  wastes,  and  barren  wastes  into  fertile 
fields  and  rich  vineyards.  Mountains  sunk  into  plains,  and 
plains  swelled  into  mountains.  Lakes  drunk  up  by  vol- 
canoes and  extinguished  volcanoes  turned  into  lakes. — 
The  earth  still  smoking  in  many  places ;  and  in  others 
throwing  out  flame. — In  short,  Nature  seems  to  have 
formed  this  coast  in  her  most  capricious  mood  ;  for  every 
object  is  a  lusus  natura.  She  never  seems  to  have  gone 
seriously  to  work  ;  but  to  have  devoted  this  spot  to  the 
most  unlimited  indulgence  of  caprice  and  frolic. 

The  bay  is  shut  out  from  the  Mediterranean  by  the 
island  of  Capre,  so  famous  for  the  abode  of  Augustus ; 
and  afterwards  so  infamous  for  that  of  Tiberius.  A  little 
to  the  west  lie  those  of  Ischia,  Prosida,  and  Nisida  ;  the 
celebrated  promontory  of  Micseum,  where  jEneas  landed  j 
the  classic  fields  of  Baia,  Cuma,  and  Puzzoli,  with  all  the 
variety  of  scenery  that  formed  both  the  Tartarus  and 
Elysium  of  the  ancients  ;  theCamphi  Phlegrei,  or  burn- 
ing plains  where  Jupiter  overcame  the  giants ;  the  Monte 
Novo,  formed  of  late  years  by  the  fire  ;  the  Monte  Barba- 
ro  ;  the  picturesque  city  of  Puzzoli,  with  the  Solfaterra 
smoking  above  it ;  the  beautiful  promontory  of  Pausilippe, 
exhibiting  the  finest  sc^ery  that  can  beipaagined  ;  the 


Sicily  and  Malta.  9 

great  aud  opulent  city  of  Naples  with  its  three  castles,  its 
harbour  full  of  ships  from  every  nation,  its  palaces,  church- 
es, and  convepts  innumerable  ;  the  rich  country  from 
thence  to  Portici,  covered  with  noble  houses  and  gardens, 
and  appearing  only  a  continuation  of  the  city  ;  the  palace 
of  the  king,  with  many  others  surrounding  it,  all  built  over 
the  roofs  of  thoseofHerculaneum,  buried  near  a  hundred 
feet,  by  the  eruptions  of  Vesuvius  ;  the  black  fields  of 
lava  that  have  run  from  that  n>ountain,  intermixed  with 
gardens,  vineyards,  and  orchards  ;  Vesuvius  itself  in  the 
back  ground  of  the  scene,  discharging  volumes  of  fire  and 
smoke,  and  forming  a  broad  track  in  the  air  over  our  heads, 
extending  without  being  broken  or  dissipated  to  the  ut- 
most verge  of  the  horizon :  a  variety  of  beautiful  towns 
and  villages,  round  the  base  of  the  mountain,  thoughtless 
of  the  impending  ruin  that  daily  threatens  them.  Some 
of  these  are  reared  over  the  very  roofs  of  Pompeia  and 
Stabia,  where  Pliny  perished  ;  and  with  their  foundations 
have  pierced  through  the  sacred  abodes  of  the  ancient  Ro- 
mans ;  thousands  of  whom  lie  buried  here,  the  victims  of 
this  inexorable  mountain.  Next  follows  the  extensive 
and  romantic  coast  of  Castello  Mare,  Sorentum  and  Mola ; 
diversified  with  every  picturesque  object  in  nature.  It 
was  the  study  of  this  wild  and  beautiful  country  that  form- 
ed our  greatest  landscape  painters.  This  was  the  school 
ofPoussin  and  SalvalorRosa,  but  more  particularly  of  the 
last,  who  composed  many  of  his  most  celebrated  pieces 
from  the  bold  craggy  rocks  that  surround  this  coast ;  and 
no  doubt  it  was  from  the  daily  contemplation  of  these  ro- 
mantic objects  that  they  stored  their  minds  with  that  vari- 
ety of  ideas  they  have  communicated  to  the  world  with 
such  elegance  in  their  works. 

Now,  should  I  tell  you  this  extensive  coast,  this  prodi- 
gious variety  of  mountains,  valleys,  promontories  and 
islands,  covered  with  an  everlasting  verdure,  and  loaded 
with  the  richest  fruits,  is  all  the  produce  of  subterraneus 
fire  ;  it  would  require,  I  am  afraid,  too  great  a  stretch  of 
faith  to  believe  me  ;  yet  the  fact  is  certain,  and  can  only 
be  doubted  by  those  who  have  wanted  time  or  curiosity  to 
examine  it.  It  is  strange,  you  will  say,  that  nature  should 
make  use  of  the  same  agent  to  create  as  to  destroy  :  and 
that  what  has  only  been  looked  upon  as  the  consumer  of 
countries,  is  in  fact  the  very  power  that  produces  thero^ 


10  A  Tour  through 

Indeed,  this  part  of  our  earth  seems  already  to  have  under- 
gone the  sentence  pronounced  upon  the  whole  of  it ;  but, 
like  the  phoenix,  has  risen  again  from  its  own  ashes, in  much 
greater  beauty  and  splendor  thai>  before  it  was  consumed. 
The  traces  of  ihese  dreadful  conflagrations  are  still  con- 
spicuous in  every  corner  ;  they  have  been  violent  in  their 
operations,  but  in  the  end  have  proved  salutary  in  their 
effects.  The  fire  in  many  places  is  not  extinguished,  but 
Vesuvius  is  now  the  only  spot  where  it  rages  with  any  de- 
gree of  activity. 

Mr.  Hamilton,  our  minister^  he?re,  who  is  no  less  dis- 
tinguished in  the  learned,  than  in  the  polite  world,  has 
lately  examined  it  with  a  truly  philosophic  eye,  and  this  is 
the  result  of  ^11  his  observations  ;  however,  at  present 
I  only  sit  down  to  give  you  an  account  of  the  prospect  oi 
this  singular  country,  and  not  to  write  its  natural  history, 
which  would  lead  me  into  too  vast  a  field  ;  I  shall  reserve 
that  curious  subject  till  our  return,  when  I  shall  have 
more  leisure  to  make  you  acquainted  with  It — I  beg  there- 
fore you  would  at  least  suspend  your  judgment  for  the 
present,  and  do  not  condemn  me  before  I  am  heard. 

After  contemplating  this  delightful  prospect,  till  sun- 
set, the  wind  sprung  up  again,  and  we  have  now  almost 
reached  Capre,  thirty  miles  distant  from  Naples.  We 
have  just  spoken  with  an  English  ship.  They  tell  us, 
that  the  ^larquis  of  Carmarthen.  Lord  Fortrose,  and  Mr. 
Hamilton,  observing  the  calm,  took  a  boat  to  make  \Is  a 
visit;  but  unfortunately  mistaking  their  vessel  for  ours, 
we  have  had  the  mortification  to  miss  them. 

The  night  is  very  dark  ;  and  Mount  Vesuvius  is  flam- 
ing at  a  dreadful  rate  ;  we  can  observe  the  red-hot  stones 
thrown  to  a  vast  height  in  the  air ;  and,  after  their  fall, 
rolling  down  the  side  of  the  mountain.  Our  ship  is  going 
so  smooth,  that  we  are  scarce  sensible  of  the  motion  ; 
and  if  this  wind  continue,  before  to-morrow  night  we  shall 
be  in  sight  of  Sicily.  Adieu.  The  captain  \%  making  a 
bowl  of  grog,  and  promises  us  a  happy  voyage. 

\^th.  All  wrong — Sick  to  death — Execrable  sirocc 
wind,  and  directly  contrary — Vile  heaving  waves — A 
plague  of  all  sea  voyages— That  author  was  surely  right, 
who  said,  that  land  voyages*  were  much  to  be  preferred. 

*  See  Tour  to  the  East 


Sicily  and  Malta,  i  I 

nth  m  the  morning.  For  these  twenty-four  hours 
past  we  have  been  groaning  to  one  another  from  ourbeds  ; 
execrating  the  waves,  and  wishing  that  we  had  rather 
been  at  the  mercy  of  all  the  banditti  of  Calabria.  We  are 
now  beginning  to  change  our  tune.  The  sirocc  is  gone, 
and  the  wind  is  considerably  fallen  ;  however,  we  are  still 
three  woful  figures.  Our  servants  too  are  sick,  and  as 
helpless  as  we.  The  captain  says,  that  Philip  our  Sicilian 
man  was  frightened  out  of  his  wits  ;  and  has  been  praying 
to  St.  Januarius  with  all  his  might.  He  now  thinks  he 
has  heard  him,  and  imputes  the  change  of  the  weather  en- 
tirely to  his  interest  with  his  saint. 

\7th.  Three  o'clock.  Weather  pleasant  and  favoura- 
ble — A  fine  breeze  since  ten ; — have  just  come  in  sight 
of  Strombolo.  Our  pilot  says  it  is  near  twenty  leagues 
off.  We  have  likewise  a  view  of  the  mountains  of  Cala- 
bria, but  at  a  very  great  distance.  Ship  steady  ;  and  sea- 
sickness almost  gone. 

Eleven  at  night.  The  weather  is  now  fine,  and  we  are 
all  well.  After  spying  Strombolo,  by  degrees  vvfe  canve 
in  sight  of  the  rest  of  the  Lipari  islands,  and  part  of  the 
coast  of  Sicily.  These  islands  are  very  picturesque,  and 
several  of  them  still  em.it  smoke,  particularly  Volcano  and 
Volcanello ;  but  none  of  them,  for  some  ages  past,  except 
Strombola,  have  made  any  eruptions  of  fire.  We  are 
just  now  lying  within  about  three  miles  of  that  curious 
island,  and  can  see  its  operations  distinctly.  It  appears 
to  be  a  volcano  of  a  very  different  nature  from  Vesuvius, 
the  explosions  of  which  succeed  one  another  with  some 
degree  of  regularity,  and  have  no  great  variety  of  dura- 
tion. Now  i  have  been  observing  Strombolo,  ever  since 
it  fell  dark,  with  a  good  deal  of  pleasure,  but  not  without 
some  degree  of  perplexity,  as  I  cannot  account  for  its  vari- 
ety. Sometimes  its  explosions  resemble  those  of  Vesu- 
vius, and  the  light  seems  only  to  be  occasioned  by  the 
quantity  of  fiery  stones  thrown  into  the  air  ;  and  as  soon 
as  these  have  fallen  down,  it  appears  to  be  extinguished, 
till  another  explosion  causes  a  fresh  illumination  :  this  I 
have  always  observed  to  be  the  case  with  Vesuvius;  ex- 
cept when  the  lava  has  risen  to  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  continued  without  variety  to  illuminate  the  air 
around  it. — The  light  from  Strombolo  evidently  depends 
oa  some  other  cause.    Sometimes  si  clear  red  fiame  issues 


12  J  Tour  through 

from  the  crater  of  the  mountain,  and  continues  to  blaze 
without  interruption,  for  near  the  space  of  half  an  hour. 
The  fire  is  of  a  different  colour  from  the  explosions  of 
stones,  and  is  evidently  produced  from  a  different  cause. 
It  would  seem  as  if  some  inflammable  substance  were 
suddenly  kindled  up  in  the  bowels  of  the  mountain.  It 
is  attended  with  no  noise,  nor  explosion  that  we  are  sen- 
sible  of  It  has  now  fallen  calm,  and  we  shall  probably 
have  an  opportunity  of  examining  this  volcano  more  mi- 
nutely to-morrow.  We  were  told  at  Naples  that  it  had 
lately  made  a  violent  eruption,  and  had  begun  to  form  a 
new  island  at  some  little  distance  from  the  old  ;  which 
piece  of  intelligence  was  one  of  our  great  inducements  to 
this  expedition  We  think  we  have  discovered  this  isl- 
and, as  we  have  observed  several  times  the  appearance  of 
a  small  flame  arising  out  of  the  sea,  a  little  to  the  south- 
west of  Strombolo ;  and  suppose  it  must  have  issued  from 
this  new  islvind ;  but  it  is  possible  this  light  may  come 
from  the  lower  part  of  the  island  of  Strombolo  itself.  We 
shall  see  to-morrow. 

1  ^th.  We  are  still  off  Strombolo,  but  unfortunately  at 
present  it  intercepts  the  view  of  that  spot  from  whence 
we  observed  the  flame  to  arise,  and  we  can  see  no  appear- 
ance of  any  new  island  nor  indeed  of  any  lava  that  has  of 
late  sprung  from  the  old  one.  We  have  a  distinct  view 
of  the  crater  of  Strombolo,  which  seems  to  be  different 
from  Vesuvius,  and  all  the  old  volcanoes  that  surround 
Naples.  Of  these,  the  craters  are  without  exception  in 
the  centre,  and  form  the  highest  part  of  the  mountain. 
That  of  Strombolo  is  on  its  side,  and  not  within  two  hun- 
hundred  yards  of  its  summit.  From  the  crater  to  the  sea, 
the  island  is  entirely  composed  of  the  same  sort  of  ashes 
and  burnt  matter  as  the  conical  part  of  Vesuvius ;  and 
the  quantity  of  this  matter  is  perpetually  increasing,  from 
the  uninterrupted  discharge  from  the  mountain ;  for  of 
all  the  volcanoes  we  read  of,  Strombolo  seems  to  be  the 
only  one  that  burns  without  ceasing.  jEtna  and  Vesuvius 
often  lie  quiet  for  many  months,  even  years,  without  the 
least  appearance  of  fire,  but  Strombolo  is  ever  at  work, 
and  for  ages  past  has  been  looked  upon  as  the  great  light- 
house of  these  seas. 

It  is  truly  wonderful,  how  such  a  constant  and  immense 
fire  is  maintained  for  thousands  of  years,  in  the  midst  of 


Sicily  and  Malta.  13 

the  ocean  !  That  of  the  other  Lipari  islaRcls  seems  now 
almost  extinct,  and  the  force  of  the  whole  to  be  concenter- 
ed in  Strombolo,  which  acts  as  one;  great  vent  to  them  all. 
We  still  observe  Volcano  and  Volcanello  throwing  cut 
volumes  of  smoke,  but  during  the  whole  night  we  could 
not  perceive  the  least  spark  of  fire  from  either  of  them. 

It  is  probable,  that  Strombolo,  as  well  as  all  the  rest  of 
these  islands,  is  originally  the  Mork  of  subterraneous  fire. 
The  matter  of  which  they  are  composed,  in  a  manner  de- 
monstrates this ;  and  many  of  the  Sicilian  authors  confirm 
it.  There  are  now  eleven  of  them  in  all ;  and  none  of  the 
ancients  mention  more  than  seven.  Fazello,  one  of  the 
best  Sicilian  authors,  gives  an  account  of  the  production 
of  Volcano,  now  one  of  the  most  considerable  of  these 
islands.  He  says  it  happened  in  the  early  time  of  the 
republic,  and  is  recorded  by  Eusebius,  Pliny,  and  others. 
He  adds,  that  even  in  his  time,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  it  still  discharged  quantities  of  fire  and 
of  pumice  stones  ;  but  that  in  the  preceding  centu'y,  in 
the  year  1444,  on  the  5th  of  February,  there  had  been  a 
very  great  eruption  of  this  island,  which  shook  all  Sicily, 
and  alarmed  the  coast  of  Italy  as  far  as  Naples.  He  says 
the  sea  boiled  all  around  the  inland,  and  rocks  of  a  vast 
size  were  discharged  from  the  crater;  that  fire  and  smoke 
in  many  places  pierced  through  the  waves,  and  that  the 
navigation  amongst  these  islands  was  totally  changed; 
rocks  appearing  where  it  was  formerly  deep  water  ;  and 
many  of  the  straits  and  shallows  were  entirely  filled  up. 
He  observes,  that  Aristotle,  in  his  book  on  meteors,  takes 
notice  of  a  very  early  eruption  of  this  island,  by  which  not 
only  the  coast  of  Sicily, but  likewise  many  cities  in  Italy 
were  covered  with  ashes.  It  has  probably  been  that  very 
eruption  which  formed  the  island.  He  describes  Strom- 
bolo to  have  been,  in  his  time,  pretty  much  the  same  as  at 
this  day ;  only  that  it  then  produced  a  great  quantity  of 
cotton,  which  is  not  now  the  case.  The  greatest  part  of 
it  appears  to  be  barren.  On  the  north  side  there  are  a 
few  vineyards :  but  they  are  very  meagre :  opposite  to 
these,  there  is  a  rock  at  some  distance  from  land  ;  it  seems 
to  be  entirely  of  lava,  and  is  not  less  than  fifty  or  sixty 
feet  above  the  water. 

The  whole  island  of  Strombolo  is  a  mountain  that  rises 
suddenly  from  the  sea ;  it  is  about  ten  miles  round,  and  is 
C 


14  A  Tour  ihrousck 


'O' 


not  of  the  exact  conical  form  supposed  commcn  to  all 
volcanoes.  We  were  determined  to  have  landed  on  the 
island,  and  to  have  attempted  to  examine  the  volcano :  but 
our  Sicilian  pilot  assures  us,  that  the  crater  is  not  only  in- 
ftccessible  (which  indeed  I  own  it  appears  to  be)  but  that 
we  shall  likewise  be  obliged  to  perform  a  quarantine  of 
forty-eight  hours  at  Messina  ;  and  that  besides,  we  should 
run  a  great  risk  of  being  attacked  by  the  natives,  who  are 
little  better  than  savages,  and  always  on  the  alarm  against 
the  Turks. — On  v/eighing  these  reasons,  and  putting  the 
qnestion,  it  was  carried,  to  proceed  on  our  voyage. 

I  own  it  is  with  much  regret  that  I  leave  this  curious 
ibbnd,  without  being  belter  acquainted  with  it.  1  have 
been  looking  with  a  good  glass  all  ro\*nd,  but  can  see 
no  marks  of  the  eruption  we  heard  so  much  of  at  Naples  : 
indeed,  the  south-west  part,  where  we  savv'  the  appearance 
of  fire,  is  slill  hid  from  us  by  the  interposition  of  the  isl- 
c-'ud  ;  and  if  there  has  been  an  eruption,  it  was  certainly 
on  that  side  :  it  is  probable  we  shall  never  be  able  to  learn 
.v!. ether  there  has  been  one  or  not ;  or  at  least  to  make 
ourselves  masters  of  any  of  the  particulars  relating  to  it* 
lor  events  of  that  kind  do  not  make  such  a  noise  in  this 
ignorant  and  indolent  country,  as  the  blowing  of  an  aloe, 
or  a  gooseberry-bush  at  Christmas,  does  in  England. 
SlrombDlo  rises  to  a  great  height:  our  pilot  says,  higher 
than  Vesuvius;  but  I  think  he  is  mistaken.  Both  the 
raptainand  he  agree,  that  in  clear  weather  it  is  discovera- 
ble at  the  distance  of  twenty-five  leagues ;  and  that  at 
night  its  tlimes  are  to  be  seen  still  much  farther;  so  that 
its  visible  horison  cannot  be  less  than  five  hundred  miles, 
which  will  recjuire  a  very  considerable  elevation. 

The  revenue  these  islands  bring  to  the  king  of  Naples, 
13  by  no  means  inconsiderable.  They  produce  great 
quantitiesof  alum,  sulphur, nitre,  cinnabar,  and  most  sorts 
of  fruits,  particularly  raisins,  currants,  and  figs  in  great 
]>erfection ;  some  of  their  wines  are  likewise  much  es- 
lee-mcd ;  particularly  the  Malvasia,  well  known  all  ever 
Europe. 

The  island  of  Lipari  (from  which  all  the  rest  take  the 
iiame)  is  by  much  the  largest,  as  well  as  the  most  fertile. 
By  the  description  of  Aristotle,  it  appears  that  it  was  in 
liis  time,  what  Strombolo  is  in  ours,  considered  by  sailors 
as  a  lighi-house>  as  its  fires  were  never  extinguished.    It 


Sicily  and  Malta.  15 

has  not  suffered  from  subterraneous  fires  for  many  ages 
past,  though  it  every  where  bears  the  marks  of  its  former 
state.  This  is  the  island  supposed  by  Virgil  (who  is  one 
of  our  travelling  companions)  to  be  the  habitation  of  iEo- 
lus  ;  but  indeed  all  of  them  were  formerly  called  ^olian. 
As  they  were  full  of  vast  caverns,  roaring  with  internal 
fires,  poets  feigned  that  ^olus  kept  the  winds  prisoners 
here,  and  let  them  out  at  his  pleasure.  This  allegorical 
fiction  is  of  great  use  both  to  Virgil  and  Homer,  when 
they  want  to  make  a  storm,  and  forms  no  inconsiderable 
part  of  their  machinery.  A  goddess  has  nothing  to  do 
but  to  take  a  flight  to  the  Lipari  islands,  and  iEolu?,  who 
was  the  very  pink  of  courtesy,  has  always  a  storm  ready  at 
her  command. 

Homer,  indeed,  departing  sadly  from  his  usual  dignity, 
supposes  that  ^olus  kept  the  winds  here,  each  tied  up  in 
their  respective  bags  ;  and  when  any  particular  wind  was 
demanded,  he  made  them  a  present  of  a  bag  full  of  it,  to 
use  at  discretion.  Some  of  the  ancient  historians  (Diodo- 
rus,  I  think)  says  that  this  fable  took  its  rise  from  a  wise 
king  named  jEoIus  ;  v/ho,  from  observing  the  smoke  of 
these  islands,  and  other  phenomena  attending  them,  had 
learned  to  forctel  the  weather;  and  from  thence  was  said 
to  have  the  command  of  the  winds. 

.The  forge  -i  V^ulcan  too  has  been  supposed  by  the  poets 
tp  be  placed  in  Hiera,  one  of  these  islands.  V^irgil  sends 
him  here,  to  muke  the  celestial  armour  for  iEneas,  and 
gives  a  noble  description  of  this  gloomy  habitation,* 
where  he  found  the  Cyclops  busy  forging  a  thunderbolt 
for  Jupiter:  the  account  of  which  is  very  singular!    This 


*    Amid  the  Hesperian  and  Sicilian  flood  "^ 

All  black  with  smoke,  a  rocky  island  stood,  C 

The  dark  Vulcanian  land,  tlie'reg-ion  of  the  god.  J 

Here  the  grim  Cyclops  ply  in  vaults  profound, 
The  huge  JEolian  forge  tliat  thunders  round. 
The  eternal  aaivils  ring  the  dungeon  o'er  ; 
From  side  to  side  the  fier^  caverns  roar,  &.c. 

f  Beneath  their  hands,  tremendous  to  survey  I 
Half  round,  half  formed,  the  dreadful  engine  lay. 
Three  points  of  rain  ;  three  forks  of  hail  conspire  ; 
Three  anned  with  wind,  and  three  were  barb'd  with  f.rr. 
The  mass  they  temper'd  thick  with  livid  rays, 
Fear,  wratli,  and  terror,  and  the  lightning's" blaze. 

Pitt. 


16  A  Tour  threugh 

island  is  now  called  Volcano,  the  same  that  is  recorded  to 
have  been  produced  by  fire  in  the  time  of  the  republic. 
So  that  Virgil  commits  here  a  very  great  anachronism, 
in  sending  Vulcan  to  a  place  which  at  that  time  did  not 
exist,  nor  for  many  ages  after.  But  this  bold  poetical  li- 
cence he  amply  repays  us  for,  by  the  fine  description  he 
gives  of  it.  These  islands,  he  say%,  were  called  Volcanian 
as  well  as  jE^lian  : 

"  Volcani  donius,  et  Yolcania  nomine  tellus.*' 

So  that  the  change  of  the  name  from  Hiera  to  Volcano 
was  a  very  natural  one.  This  is  the  island  that  Pliny  calls 
Terasia  ;  and  both  Strabo  and  he  give  an  account  of  its 
productions. 

\9th.  Found  ourselves  within  half  a  mile  of  the  coast 
of  Sicily,  which  is  low,  but  finely  variegated.  The  oppo- 
site coast  of  Calabria  is  very  high,  and  the  mountains  are 
covered  with  the  finest  verdure.  It  was  almost  a  dead 
calm,  our  ship  scarce  moving  half  a  mile  in  an  hour,  so 
thai  we  had  time  to  get  a  complete  view  of  the  famous 
lOck  of  Scylla,  on  the  Calabrian  side.  Cape  Pylorus  on  the 
Sicilian,  and  the  celebrr.ted  Straits  of  the  Faro  that  runs 
between  them.  Whilst  we  were  still  some  miles  distant 
from  the  entry  of  the  Straits,  we  heard  the  roaring  of  the 
current,  like  the  noise  of  some  large  impetuous  river 
confined  between  narrow  banks.  This  increased  in  pro- 
portion as  we  advanced,  till  we  saw  the  water  in  many 
places  raised  to  a  considerable  height,  and  forming  large 
eddies,  or  whirlpools.  Tlie  sea  in  every  other  place  was 
as  smooth  as  glass.  Our  old  pilot  told  us,  that  he  had  of- 
ten seen  ships  caught  in  these  eddies,  and  whirled  about 
with  great  rapidity,  without  obeying  the  helm  in  the 
smallest  degree.  When  the  weather  is 'calm,  there  is 
little  danger  ;  but  when  the  waves  meet  with  this  violent 
current,  it  makes  a  dreadful  sea.  He  says  that  there  were 
five  ships  wrecked  in  this  spot  last  winter.  We  observed 
that  the  current  set  exactly  for  the  rock  of  Scylla,  and 
would  infullibly  have  carried  any  thing  thrown  into  it 
against  that  point;  so  that  it  was  not  without  reason  the 
ancients  have  painted  it  as  an  object  of  such  terror.  It  is 
about  a  mile  from  the  entry  of  the  Faro,  and  forms  a  small 
promontory,  which  runs  a  little  out  to  sea,  and  meet?  the 


Sicily  arid  Alalia.  17 

whole  force  of  the  waters,  as  they  come  out  of  the  nar- 
rowest part  of  the  Straits.  The  head  of  this  promontory 
is  the  famous  Scylla.  It  must  be  owned  that  it  does  net 
altogether  come  up  to  the  formidable  description  that  Ho- 
mer gives  of  it ;  the  reading  wliich  (like  that  of  Shakes- 
peare's Cliff)  almost  makes  one's  head  giddy.  Neither 
is  the  passage  so  wondrous  narrow  and  difficult  as  he 
makes  it.  Indeed  it  is  probable  that  the  breadth  of  it  i^ 
greatly  increased  since  his  time  by  the  violent  impetuosi- 
ty of  the  current.  And  this  violence  too  must  have  al- 
ways diminished-,  in  proportion  as  the  breadth  of  the  chan- 
nel increased. 

Our  pilot  says,  there  are  many  small  rocks  that  shev/ 
their  heads  near  the  base  of  the  large  ones.  These  are 
probably  the  dogs  that  are  described  ks  howling  round  the 
monster  Scylla.  Tliere  are  likev/ise  many  caverns  that 
add  greatly  to  the  ncise  of  the  water,  and  tend  still  to  in- 
crease the  horror  of  the  scene.  The  rock  is  near  two 
hundred  feet  high.  There  is  a  kind  of  castle  or  fort  built 
on  its  summ.it ;  and  the  town  of  Scylla,  or  Sciglio,  con- 
taining three  or  four  hundred  inhabitants,  stands  on  its 
south  side,  and  gives  the  title  of  prince  to  a  Calabrese 
family. 

As  the  current  was  directly  against  us,  we  were  obli- 
ged to  lie  to,  for  some  hours,  till  it  turned..  The  motion 
of  the  water  ceased  for  some  time,  but  in  a  few  minutes 
it  began  in  ihe  opposite  direction,  though  not  with  such 
violence.  We  lay  just  opposite  to  Cape  Pelorus  ;  (where 
the  light-house  is  now  built.)  It  is  said  to  have  been  thus 
named  by  Hannibal,  in  recompence  to  Pelorus,  his  pilot, 
for  having  put  him  to  death  on  this  spot,  on  a  false  suspi- 
cion of  his  wanting  to  betray  him  :  for  seeing  himself 
land-locked  on  all  sides,  he  thought  there  v/as  no  escaping, 
and  that  Pelorus  had  been  bribed  to  deliver  him  up  ;  but 
as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  Straits,  he  repented  of  his 
rashness  ;  and  some  years  afterwards  erected  a  statue  here 
in  atonement  to  the  manes  of  Pelorus.  Pomponius  Mela 
tells  this  story  ;  from  whence  he  draws  two  very  wise  in- 
ferences: That  Hannibal  must  have  been  extremely  pas- 
sionate ;  and  that  he  knew  nothing  at  all  cf  geography. 
Others  deny  this  authority,  and  say  it  was  named  Pelorus 
from  Ulysses*  pilot,  who  was  drowned  near  to  this  place  ; 
but  there  can  be  no  sort  of  foundation  for  this  conjecture  ^ . 
CM 


18  J  Tour  through 

fdr  Ulysses'  whole  crew  were  drowned  at  the  same  timeij 
and  he  himself  was  driven  through  these  Straits,  mount- 
ed on  the  broken  mast  of  his  ship.  It  is  like  most  dis- 
putes among  antiquaries,  a  matter  of  mighty  little  conse- 
quence ;  and  I  leave  you  at  full  liberty  to  choose  which 
of  the  two  accounts  you  please. 

From  hence  we  had  an  opportunity  of  observing  a  pret- 
ty large  portion  of  Calabria,  which  formerly  constituted  a 
considerable  part  of  that  celebrated  country  known  by  the 
name  of  Great  Greece,  and  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most 
fertile  in  the  empire.    These  beautiful  hills  and  moun- 
tains are  covered  with  trees  and  brush-wood  to  the  very 
summit ;  and  appear  pretty  much  in  the  same  state  as 
some  of  the  wilds  of  America  that  are  just  beginning  to 
be  cultivated.     Some  little  spots  where  the  woods  are 
cleared  away,  just  serve  to  shew  the  natural  fertility  of 
the  soil ;  and  what  this  country  might  soon  be  brought  to, 
were  industry  and  population  encouraged ;  but  it  still  re- 
mains a  good  deal  in  the  same  situation  as  when  the  bar- 
barous nations  left  it ;  and  I  believe  it  is  hard  to  say, 
whether  their  tyranny  or  that  of  Spain  has  been  the  most 
oppressive.     After  the  invasion  of  those  nations,  and  du- 
ring the  time  of  the  dark  and  barbarous  agfs,  this  country 
(like  many  others)  from  the  highest  state  of  culture  and 
civilation,  became  a  wild  and  barren  wilderness,  overgrown 
with  thickets  and  forests :  and  indeed,  since  the   ren- 
val  of  arts  and  agriculture,  perhaps  of  all  Europe  this  is 
the  country  that  has  profited  the  least;  retaining  still, 
both  in  the  wildncss  of  its  fields  and  ferocity  of  its  inhabi- 
tants, more  of  the  Gothic  barbarity  than  is  to  be  met  with 
any  where  else.     Some  of  these  forests  are  of  a  vast  ex- 
tent, an-l  absolutely  impenetrable  ;  and  no  doubt  conceal 
in  their  thickets  many  valuable  monuments  of  its  ancient 
magnificence.     Of  this  indeed  "we   have  a  very  recent 
proof  in  the  discovery  of  Pestum,  a  Grecian  city,  that  had 
not  been  heard  of  for  many  ages;  till  of  late  some  of  its 
iofty  temples  were  seen,  peeping  over  the  tops  of  the 
woods  ;  upbraiding  mankind  for  their  shameful  neglect ; 
and  calling  upon  them  to  bring  it  once  more  to  light.    Ac- 
cordingly curiosity,  and  the  hopes  of  gain,  a  still  more 
po.verfui  motive,  soon  opened  a  passage,  and  exposed 
to  view  these  valuable  and  respectable  relics. — But  here 
it  would  be  out  of  place  to  give  you  an  accownt  of  them  ; 
1  shall  reserve  that  till  my  return. 


Sicily  and  Malta,  19 

As  soon  as  our  ship  entered  the  current,  we  were 
carried  along  with  great  velocity  towards  Messina,  which 
is  twelve  miles  from  the  entry  of  the  Straits.  However, 
as  the  passage  widens  in  proportion  as  you  advance,  the 
current  of  consequence  becomes  less  rapid.  At  Messina 
it  is  four  miles  broad.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Straits,  be- 
twixt the  promontories  of  Pelorus  in  Sicily,  and  the  Coda 
de  Volpe  (or  the  Fox*s  Tail)  in  Calabria,  it  appears  scarce- 
ly to  be  a  mile.  Most  of  the  ancient  writers  are  of  opin- 
ion that  Sicily  was  formerly  joined  to  the  continent  in  this 
spot,  and  that  the  separation  must  have  been  made  by 
some  violent  convulsion  of  the  earth.  If  this  is  true, 
which  indeed  does  not  appear  improbable,  it  must  have 
happened  far  beyond  the  reach  of  all  historians,  as  none 
of  them,  at  least  that  I  have  seen,  pretend  any  thing  but 
conjecture  for  the  foundation  of  their  opinion.  Indeed 
Claudian  (were  credit  to  be  given  to  poets)  says  positively, 

^'  Trinacria  quondam  Italix  pars  una  fuit," 

And  Virgil  too,  in  his  third  ^neid,  tells  the  same  story  : 

"IIxc  loca  vi  quondam,  et  vasta  convulsa  ruina,"  &c. 

Pliny,  Strabo,  Diodorus,  and  many  others,  both  historians 
and  philosophers,  are  of  the  same  sentiments,  and  pretend 
that  the  strata  in  the  opposite  sides  of  the  Strait  perfectly 
correspond  ;  like  the  while  rocks  near  Dover  and  Bou- 
logne, which  have  given  rise  to  an  opinion  ofthe  same  kind. 
However,  the  similarity  in  that  case  is  much  more  stri- 
king to  the  eye  at  least  than  in  this. 

The  approach  to  Messina  is  the  finest  that  can  be  im- 
agined ;  it  is  not  so  grand  as  that  of  Naples,  but  it  is 
much  more  beautiful,  pnd  the  key  exceeds  any  thing  I 
have  yet  seen,  even  in  Holland.  It  is  built  in  the  form  of 
a  crescent,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  range  of  magnificent 
buildings,  four  stories  high,  and  exactly  uniforn;,  for  the 
space  of  an  Italian  mile.  The  street  betwixt  these  and 
the  sea  is  about  an  hundred  feet  wide,  and  forms  one  of 
thte  most  delightful  walks  in  the  world.  It  enjoys  the 
fieest  air,  and  commands  the  most  beautiful  prospect : 
i^  is  only  exposed  to  the  morning  sun,  being  shaded  all 
tjic  rest  of  the  day  by  these  buildings.    It  is  besides  con- 


/ 


^0  A  To2ir  through 


£> 


stantly  refreshed  by  the  cooling  breeze  from  the  Straits  ; 
for  the  current  of  the  water  produces  likewise  a  current 
in  the  air,  that  renders  this  one  of  the  coolest  habiiations 
in  Sicily. 

VVe  cast  anchor  about  four  this  afternoon,  near  the  cen- 
tre of  this  enchanted  senni-circlc,  the  beauiy  of  which 
greatly  delighted  us  ;  but  our  pleasure  was  soon  inter- 
rupted by  a  discovery  that  the  name  of  one  of  our  servants 
had  been  omitted  in  our  bills  of  health  ;  and  an  assurance 
from  the  captain,  that  if  he  was  discovered  we  should  cer- 
tainly be  obliged  to  perform  a  long  quarantine.  Whilst 
wc  were  deliberating  upon  this  weighty  matter,  we  ob- 
served a  boat  with  the  people  of  the  health-office  ap- 
proaching us.  We  had  just  time  lo  get  him  wrap- 
ped up  in  a  hammock,  and  shut  down  below  the 
hatches  ;  with  orders  not  to  stir  in  case  of  a  search, 
and  not  appear  again  above  deck  till  he  should  be 
called.  The  poor  fellow  was  obliged  to  keep  in  his  hole 
till  it  was  dark,  as  our  consul  and  some  people  of  the 
health-office  staid  on  board  much  longer  than  we  could 
have  wishv?d,  and  we  are  still  obliged  to  conceal  him  j  for 
ii  he  be  discovered,  we  shall  probably  get  into  a  very  bad 
scrape.  They  are  particularly  strict  here  in  this  respect; 
and  indeed  they  have  great  reason  to  be  so ;  since  this 
beautiful  city  was  almost  annihilated  by  the  plague  in  the 
year  1743,  when  upwards  of  70,000  people  are  said  to 
Ijave  died  in  it  and  its  district,  in  the  space  of  a  few  months. 

We  have  now  got  on  shore,  and  are  lodged  in  the  most 
wretched  of  inns,  although  said  to  be  a  first-rate  one  for 
Sicily  :  but  we  are  contented  ;  for  surely  after  bad  ship 
accommodation  and  sea-sickness,  any  house  will  appear 
a  palace,  and  any  bit  of  dry  land  a  paradise. 

I  shall  send  this  off  by  the  post,  which  goes  to-morrow, 
for  Naples,  and  shall  continue  from  day  to  day  to  give  you 
some  account  of  our  transactions  ;  trifling  as  they  are, 
there  will  probably  be  something  new  ;  and  it  will  add 
greatly  to  the  pleasure  of  our  expedition,  to  think  that  it 
has  contributed  to  yoyr  eiitertainment.     Adieu. 

Ever  yours,  &c 


Sicily  and  Malta.  31 


LETTER  m. 


Messina,  May  20. 

'^r^HE  harbour  of  Messina  is  formed  by  a  small  pro- 
X  moniory  or  neck  of  land  that  runs  off  from  the  east 
end  of  the  city,  and  separates  that  beautiful  bason  from 
the  rest  of  the  Straits.  The  shape  of  this  promontory  is 
that  of  a  reaping  hook,  the  curvature  of  which  forms  the 
harbour,  and  secures  it  from  all  winds.  From  the  strikin.^ 
resemblance  of  its  form,  the  Greeks,  who  never  gave  a 
name  that  did  not  either  describe  the  object,  or  express 
some  of  its  most  ren»arkable  properties,  called  this  place 
Zancle  or  the  Sickle,  and  feigned  that  the  sickle  of  Sa- 
turn fell  on  this  spot,  and  gave  it  its  form.  But  the  La- 
tins, who  were  not  quite  so  fond  of  fable,  changed  its 
name  to  Messina  (from  messia,  a  harvest)  because  of  the 
great  fertility  of  its  fields.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  safest 
harbours  in  the  world,  after  ships  have  got  in  ;  but  it  is 
likewise  one  of  the  most  difficult  access.  The  celebrated 
gulf  or  whirlpool  of  Chary bdis  lies  near  to  its  entry,  and 
often  occasions  such  an  intestine  and  irregular  motion  in 
the  water,  that  the  helm  loses  most  ofits  power,  and  ships 
have  great  difficulty  to  get  in,  even  with  the  fairest  wind 
that  can  blow.  This  whirlpool,  I  think,  is  probably  form- 
ed by  the  small  promontory  1  have  mentioned  :  which, 
contracting  the  Straits  in  this  spot,  must  necessarily  in- 
crease the  velocity  of  the  current ;  but  no  doubt  other 
causes,  of  which  we  are  ignorant,  concur,  for  this  v. ill  by 
no  means  account  for  all  the  appearances  which  it  lias  pro- 
duced. The  great  noise  occasioned  by  th«  tumultuous 
motion  of  the  waters  in  this  place,  made  the  ancients  liken 
it  to  a  voracious  sea-monster  perpetually  roaring  for  its 
prey  ;  and  it  has  been  represented  by  their  authors,  as  the 
most  tremendous  passage  in  the  world.  Aristotle  gives  a 
long  and  formidable  description  of  it  in  his  125th  chapter 
De  Admirandis^  which  I  find  translated  in  the  old  Sicilian 
book  1  have  got  here.  It  begins,  '*  Adeo  profundum,  hor- 
riduroque  spectaculum,"  Sec.    hut  it  is  loo  long  to  trans- 


^2^2  A  Tour  throiigh 

cribe.  It  is  likewise  described  by  Homer,*  12th  of  the^ 
Odyssey  ;  Virgi],t  3d  ^neid  ;  Lucretius,  Ovid,  Sallust, 
Seneca,  also  by  many  of  the  old  Italian  and  Sicilian  poets, 
who  all  speak  of  it  in  terms  of  horror ;  and  represent  it  as 
an  object  that  inspired  terror,  even  when  looked  on  at  a 
distance.  It  certainly  is  not  now  so  formidable ;  and  ve- 
ry probably  the  violence  of  the  motion,  continued  for  so 
many  ages,  has  by  degrees  worn  smooth  the  rug-ged  rocks, 
and  juttling  shelves,  that  may  have  intercepted  and  confi- 
ned the  waters.  The  breadth  of  the  Straits  too,  in  this 
place,  I  make  nodoul^t  is  considerably  enlarged.  Indeed, 
from  the  nature  of  things  it  must  be  so ;  the  perpetual 
friction  occasioned  by  the  current  must  wear  away  the 
bank  on  each  side,  and  enlarge  the  bed  of  the  water. 

The  vessels  in  this  passage  were  obliged  to  go  as  near 
as  possible  to  the  coast  of  Calabria,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
suction  occasioned  by  the  whirling  of  the  waters  in  this 

*  Dire  Scylla  there  a  scene  of  horror  forms, 
And  here  Charybdis  fills  the  deep  with  storms  : 
When  tlie  tide  rushes  from  her  rumbling  caves. 
The  rough  rocks  roar ;  tumultuous  boil  the  waves  ; 
They  toss,  they  foam,  a  wild  confusion  raise, 
Like  waters  bubbling  o'er  the  fiery  blaze ; 
Eternal  mists  obscure  tlie  aerial  plain, 
And  high  above  the  rock  slie  spouts  the  maiii. 
When  in  her  gulfs  the  rushing  sea  subsides. 
She  drains  the  ocean  with  her  refluent  tides. 
The  rock  re -bellows  with  a  thundering  sound  ; 
Deep,  wonderous  d.-ep,  below  appears  the  ground. 

f  That  realm  of  old,  a  ruin  huge  was  rent. 
In  length  of  af^es  fiom  th.e  continent. 
Witli  force  convulsive  burst  the  isle  away: 
Thro'  the  dre:id  opening  broke  the  thundering  sea. 
At  once  the  thundering  sea  Sicilia  tore. 
And  sunder'd  from  the  fair  Hesperian  shore  ; 
And  still  the  neighbouring  coasts  and  towns  divide" 
Willi  scanty  channels  and  contracted  tides. 
Fierce  to  the  right  tremendous  Scylla  roars, 
Cliarybdis  on  tlie  left  the  flood  devoiu's : 
Thrice  swallow'd  in  her  womb  subsides  the  sen, 
Deep,  deep  as  hell,  and  thrice  she  spouts  away 
i'rom  her  bluck  bellowing  gulphs  disgorged  on  higli 
"^Vaves  after  wave?,  that  dash  against  the  skv. 

Pitt 


Sicily  and  Malta.  QS 

vortex ;  by  which  means,  when  they  came  to  the  narrow- 
est and  most  rapid  part  of  the  Straits,  betwixt  Cape  Pelo- 
rus  and  Scylla,  they  were  in  great  danger  of  being  carried 
upon  that  rock.  From  whence  the  proverb,  still  applied 
to  those,  who  in  attempting  to  avoid  one  evil  fall  into  an- 
other. 

*♦  Incidit  in  Scyllam,  cupiens  cvitare  Charlbdcrn. 

There  is  a  fine  fountain  of  white  marble  on  the  key,  re- 
presenting Neptune  holding  Scylla  and  Charybdis  chain- 
ed, under  ihe  emblematical  figures  of  two  sea-monsters, 
as  represented  by  the  poets. 

The  little  neck  of  land,  forming  the  harbour  of  Messi- 
na, is  strongly  fortified.  The  citadel,  which  is  indeed  a 
very  fine  work,  is  built  on  that  part  which  connects  it  with 
the  main  land.  The  farthermost  point,  which  runs  out  to 
sea,  is  defended  by  four  small  forts,  which  command  the 
entry  into  the  harbour.  Betwixt  these  lie  the  lazaret,  and 
a  light-house,  to  warn  sailors  of  their  approach  to  Charyb- 
dis, as  that  other  on  Cape  Pelorus  is  intended  to  give 
them  notice  of  Scylla. 

It  is  probably  from  these  light-houses  (by  the  Greeks 
called  Pharoi)  that  the  whole  of  this  celebrated  Strait  has 
been  denominated  the  Faro  of  Messina. 

There  are  a  number  of  galleys  and  galliots  in  this  beau- 
tiful harbour,  which  still  add  greatly  to  its  beauty.  Three 
of  these  sailed  this  morning,  in  order  to  cruiae  round  the 
island,  and  to  protect  it  from  the  sudden  invasions  of  the 
Barbarians  who  are  often  very  troublesome  on  the  south 
coast.  These  vessels  made  a  very  picturesque  appear- 
ance as  they  went  out  of  the  harbour;  their  oars  m.oving 
all  together,  with  the  greatest  regularity.  I  think  there 
are  nine  or  ten  men  to  each  oar  ;  and  indeed  it  appears  to 
be  the  hardest  work  you  can  imagine.  They  all  rise,  ev- 
every  stroke  of  the  oar,  and  when  they  pull,  they 
almost  throw  themselves  on  their  backs,  and  seem  to 
exert  their  utmost  force.  These  wretches  are  chained 
to  their  oars,  and  sleep  every  night  on  the  bare  benches, 
without  any  thing  to  throw  over  them.  V^t,  what  is 
strange,  notwithstanding  all  the  misery  they  suffer,  I  am 
told  there  was  never  known  an  instance  of  any  one  of  them 
putting  themselves  to  death.     They  often,  indeed,  confer 


Q,^  J  Tour  ihrouich 


to' 


that  favour  upon  one  another,  but  it  is  only  in  their  quar- 
rels, and  by  no  means  out  of  kindness.  In  a  company  of 
English  in  the  same  circumstances,  promotion  would 
probably  go  on  much  faster,  as  there  would  be  no  want 
of  vacancies,  provided  only  ropes  and  knives  were  to  be 
had. 

We  intended  this  morning  to  have  paid  our  respects  to 
the  prince  of  Villa  Franca,  the  governor,  and  to  have  de- 
livered our  letters  ;  but  he  is  gone  to  his  country-house, 
and  as  there  is  no  carriages  to  be  had,  we  are  obliged  to 
wait  his  arrival  in  town,  which  will  probably  be  to-morrow 
or  next  day. 

We  are  still  under  a  good  deal  of  uneasiness  about  our 
servant,  and  are  obliged  to  conceal  him  carefully  from 
the  people  of  the  health-office,  who  seem  to  haunt  us,  as 
we  have  met  them  this  morning  in  all  our  walks.  Were 
he  to  be  discovered,  perhaps  some  of  us  might  have  the 
pleasure  of  making  a  little  voyage,  on  board  one  of  those 
galleys,  for  our  amusement.  Indeed  the  captain  of  the 
ship,  poor  fellow,  would  run  the  greatest  risk,  who  is  obli- 
ged to  answer  for  every  person  on  board. — We  shall  leave 
this  place  as  soon  as  possible  :  for  I  do  not  believe  there 
is  much  more  to  be  seen  about  it. 

20th  at  night.  After  dinner  our  depute-consul  (a  Sici- 
lian) carried  us  to  several  convents,  where  we  were  re- 
ceived by  the  nuns  with  great  politeness  and  affability. 
We  conversed  with  them  for  some  hours  through  the 
grate,  and  found  some  of  them  by  no  means  deficient,  ei- 
ther in  point  of  knowledge  or  sprightliness  ;  but  none  of 
them  had  sincerity  enough  (which  we  met  with  in  Portu- 
gal more  than  once)  to  acknowledge  the  unhappiness  of 
their  situation.  All  pretended  to  be  happy  and  contented, 
and  declared  tbey  would  not  change  their  prison  for  the 
most  brilliant  situation  in  life.  However,  some  of  them 
had  a  soft  melancholy  in  their  countenances,  that  gave 
the  lie  to  their  words  ;  and  I  am  persuaded,  in  a  tete-atete, 
and  on  a  more  intimate  acquaintance,  they  would  have 
told  a  very  different  story.  Several  of  them  are  extremely 
handsome  ;  but,  indeed,  I  think  they  always  appear  so  ; 
and  am  very  certain  from  frequent  experience,  that  there 
is  do  artificial  ornament,  or  studied  embellishment  what- 
ever, that  can  produce  half  so  strong  an  effect,  as  the  mo- 
dest and  simple  attire  of  a  pretty  young  nun,  placed  be- 


Sicihj  and  Malta.  t5 

hind  a  double  iron  grate.  To  see  an  amiable,  iinafiectcd, 
and  unadorned  person,  that  might  have  been  an  honour 
and  an  ornament  to  society,  make  a  voluntary  rcbignaiion 
of  her  charms,  and  gi\'€  up  the  world  and  all  its  pleasures, 
for  a  life  of  fasting  and  niortificalion,  it  cannot  fail  to  move 
our  pity  ; 

''  AnJ  pity  jneUs^tJl^  mind  to  love. 

There  is  another  consideration  which  tends  much  to  in- 
crease these  feelings  ;  that  is,  our  total  incapacity  ever  to 
alter  her  situation. — The  pleasure  of  relieving  tin  object 
in  distress,  is  the  only  refuge  we  have  aguinst  the  pain 
which  the  seeing  of  that  object  occasions  j  but  here,  this 
is  utterly  denied  us,  and  we  feci  with  sorrow,  that  pity  is 
all  we  can  bestow. 

From  these,  and  the  like  reflections,  a  man  generally 
feels  himself  in  bad  spirits  after  converging  with  amiable 
nuns.  Indeed,  it  is  hardly  possible,  without  a  heavy  heart, 
to  leave  the  grate ;  that  inexorable  and  impenetrable  bar- 
rier.— At  last,  we  took  our  leave,  expressing  our  happi- 
ness in  being  admitted  so  near  them;  but  at  the  same  time 
deploring  our  misery,  in  seeing  them  for  ever  removed 
at  so  unmeasurable  a  distance  from  us.  They  were  much 
pleased  with  our  visit,  and  begged  we  would  repeat  it  eve- 
ry day  during  our  stay  at  Messina;  but  this  might  prove 
dangerous. 

On  having  the  convent,  wc  observed  a  great  concourse 
of  people  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  at  some  distance  from 
the  city.  The  consul  told  us,  it  was  the  celebration  of  a 
great  festival  in  honour  of  St.  Francis,  and  was  worth  our 
going  to  see.  Accordingly,  we  arrived  just  as  the  saint 
made  his  appearance.  He  was  carried  through  the  crowd 
with  vast  ceremony,  and  received  the  homage  of  the  peo- 
ple with  a  becoming  dignity ;  after  which  he  was  again 
lodged  in  his  chapel,  where  he  performs  a  number  of  mi- 
racles every  day,  to  all  those  who  have  abundance  of  money 
and  abundance  of  faith.  His  ministers,  however,  are  only 
a  set  of  poor  greasy  capuchins ;  who  indeed  do  not  seem 
to  have  enriched  themselves  in  his  service.  In  general, 
he  is  but  a  shabby  master,  if  one  may  judge  by  the  tat- 
tered clothes  of  his  servants ;  aiid  St.  Benedict,  who  doe» 
not  pretend  to  half  his  sanctity,  beats  him  all  to  nothing, 

D 


5t6  A  Tour  through 


&' 


The  people  continued  to  dance,  in  soft  Sicilian  measures, 
till  after  sun  set,  when  they  retired.  Many  of  the  coun- 
try girls  are  extremely  handsome,  and  dance  with  a  good 
grace.  The  young  fellows  were  all  in  their  Sunday's 
clothes,  and  made  a  good  appearance.  The  assembly 
room  was  a  fine  green  plain  on  the  top  of  the  hill.  It 
pleased  us  very  much,  and  put  us  in  mind  of  some  of 
Theocritus's  descriptions  of  the  Sicilian  pleasures.  But 
Theocritus,  if  he  could  have  raised  up  his  head,  would 
probably  have  been  a  good  deal  puzzled  what  to  make  of 
the  shabby  figure  of  St.  Francis  marching  through  a- 
mongst  them  with  such  majesty  and  solemnity.  Another 
part  of  the  ceremony  too  would  have  greatly  alarmed  him, 
as  indeed  it  did  us.  The  whole  court  before  the  church 
was  surrounded  with  a  triple  row  of  small  iron  cannon, 
about  six  inches  long ;  these  were  charged  to  the  muzzle, 
and  rammed  very  hard ;  a  -er  which  they  were  set  close 
to  each  other,  and  a  train  laid,  that  completed  the  com- 
munication through  the  whole  number,  which  must  have 
exceeded  two  thousand.  Fire  was  set  to  the  train,  and 
in  two  or  three  minutes  the  whole  was  discharged  by  a 
running  fire ;  the  reports  following  one  another  so  quick, 
that  it  was  impossible  for  the  ear  to  separate  them.  The 
effect  was  very  grand ;  but  it  would  have  been  nothing 
without  the  fine  echo  from  the  high  mountains  on  each 
side  of  the  Straits,  which  prolonged  the  sound  for  some 
considerable  time  after  the  firing  was  finished. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  this  hill  is  beautiful  beyond 
description.  The  Straits  appear  like  a  vast  majestic  river 
flowing  slowly  betwixt  two  ridges  of  mountains,  and  open- 
ing by  degrees  from  its  narrowest  point,  till  it  swells  to 
the  size  of  an  ocean.  Its  banks^  at  the  same  time,  adorn- 
ed with  rich  corn  fields,  vineyards,  orchards,  towns,  vil- 
lages and  churches.  The  prospect  is  terminated  on  each 
side  by  the  tops  of  high  mountains  covered  with  wood. 

We  observed  in  our  walks  to-day  many  of  the  flowers 
that  are  much  esteemed  in  our  gardens,  and  others  too 
that  we  are  not  acquainted  with.  Laikspur,  flos  Adonis, 
Venus*  looking-glass,  hawksweed,  and  very  fine  lupins, 
grow  wild  over  all  these  mountains.  They  have  likewise 
a  variety  of  flowering  shrubs;  particularly  one  in  great 
plenty,  which  I  do  not  recollect  ever  to  have  seen  before : 
it,  bears  a  beautiful  round  fruit,  of  a  bright  shining  yellpw^ 


Sicily  and  Malta.  27 

They  call  it,  II  porao  d'oro,  or  golden  apple.  All  the 
fields  about  Messina  are  covered  with  the  richest  white 
clover,  intermixed  with  a  variety  of  aromatic  plants, 
which  perfu.iie  the  air,  ind  render  their  walks  exceeding- 
ly delightful.  But  what  is  remarkable,  we  were  most 
sensible  of  this  perfume,  when  walking  on  the  harbour 
which  is  at  the  {greatest  distance  from  these  fields.  I 
mentioned  this  peculiarity  to  a  Messinese  gentleman,  who 
tells  me,  that  the  salt  produced  here  by  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  emits  a  grateful  odour,  something  like  violets ;  and 
it  is  that,  probably,  which  perfumes  the  sea-shore.  On 
consulting  Fazzelo  De  rebus  Siculir,  I  find  he  takes  no- 
tice of  the  same  singularity  ;  and  likewise  observes,  that 
the  water  of  the  Straits  has  a  viscous  or  glutinous  quality, 
which  by  degrees  cements  the  sand  and  gravel  together, 
and  at  last  consolidates  them  to  the  solidity  of  the  rock. 

There  are  fine  shady  walks  on  all  sides  of  Messina; 
some  of  these  run  along  the  sea-shore,  and  are  for  ever 
fanned  by  the  cooling  breeze  from  the  Straits.  The 
houses  are  large,  and  most  of  the  articles  of  life  are 
cheap,  and  in  plenty,  particularly  fish,  which  are  reckon- 
ed better  here,  than  any  where  else  in  the  Mediterranean. 
The  hire  of  lodgings  is  next  to  nothing ;  almost  one  half 
of  that  noble  range  of  buildings  I  have  described,  being 
absolutely  uninhabited  since  the  desolation  of  1743;  so 
that  tl;s  proprietors  are  glad  to  get  tenants  on  any  terms. 
It  now  occurs  to  me,  that  from  all  these  considerations, 
there  is  no  place  I  have  seen  so  admirably  calculated  for 
tl.e  residence  of  that  flock  of  valetudinarians,  which  every 
autumn  leave  our  country  with  the  swallows,  in  search  of 
warm  climates.  I  have  been  enquiring  with  regard  to 
their  winter  season,  and  find  all  agree,  that,  in  general,  it 
is  much  preferable  to  that  of  Naples.  They  allow  they 
have  sometimes  heavy  rain  for  two  or  three  weeks ;  but 
it  never  lasts  longer ;  and  besides,  they  have  always  some 
fair  hours  every  day,  when  people  can  go  out  for  exercise  \ 
for  the  moment  the  rain  is  over,  the  walks  are  dry,  the 
soil  being  a  light  gravel. 

The  advantages  of  Messina  over  Naples  in  other  re- 
spects, I  think,  are  considerable.  At  Naples  there  are 
no  walks;  and,  the  truth  is,  they  have  no  occasion  for 
thsm,  no  more  indeed  than  they  have  for  legs;  for  you 
know  as  well  as  I,  that  walking  there  is  little  less  infa- 


J*8  A  Tow-  thrtu^h 


t>' 


nious  than  stealing;  and  any  person  tliat  makes  use  of  his 
limbs  is  looked  upon  as  a  blackguard,  and  despised  by 
all  good  company.  The  rides  too  are  all  al  a  great  dis- 
tance ;  and  you  are  obliged  to  go  some  miles  on  streets 
and  pavement  before  you  get  into  the  country ;  besides 
passing  the  vile  grotto  of  Pausillipe,  where  you  are  in 
danger  of  being  blinded,  and  stifled  with  dust.  There 
are  seldom  any  public  diversions  here;  the  attending  of 
which  at  Naples,  and  complying  wiih  their  bad  hours, 
does  often  more  than  counteract  all  the  benefit  obtained 
from  the  climate.  That  detestable  practice  of  gaming 
too  is  by  no  means  so  prevalent  here ;  which  from  the 
anxiety  it  occasions  to  the  mind,  and  lassitude  to  the 
body,  must  be  death  to  all  hectic  people,  weak  breasts, 
or  delicate  nerves.  I  could  say  much  more  on  this  sub- 
ject, but  as  I  have  many  of  these  circumstances  only  from 
the  report  of  the  inhabitants,  it  makes  me  more  diffident 
than  if  I  had  kV.own  them  from  my  own  experience. 

We  found  our  banker,  Mr.  M ,  a  very  sensible 

man,  and  spent  some  hours  with  him,  both  this  morning 
and  evening,  very  agreeably.  He  has  given  us  some  ac- 
count of  the  police  of  the  country,  the  most  singular,  per. 
haps,  of  any  in  the  world  ;  to  such  a  degree,  indeed,  that 
I  shall  net  venture  to  tell  it  you,  till  1  have  talked  it  over 
with  some  other  people,  to  see  if  the  accounts  agree  ;— 
though  from  the  character  that  gentleman  bears,  both 
here  and  at  Naples,  he  is  as  good  authority  as  any  in  the 
island. 

The  prince  of  Villa  Franca  is  arrived  ;  so  that  we  shall 
probably  have  our  audience  to-morrow  morning.  Adieu 
— We  are  just  going  to  sup  upon  stakes  made  of  ihe  piesce 
spada  or  sword  fish,  which  are  caught  in  great  plenty  in 
these  seas.  The  sword  of  this  one  is  upwards  of  four 
feet  long;  and  a  formidable  weapon  it  is: — not  unlike  a 
Highland  broad  sword.  This  fish,  when  cut,  bears  a  per- 
fect resemblance  to  flesh  ;  so  much,  that  none  of  us  doubt- 
ed it  was  beef  stakes  they  were  dressing  for  us,  and 
expressed  our  surprise  at  findirg-  that  fish  in  Sicily.— 
Goodnight. 


Sicily  and  Malt^.  «9 


LETTER  IV. 

2Ut.  TTTTE  are  just  returned  from  the  prince's.  He 
V  V  received  us  politely,  Jjut  witli  a  good  deal  of 
state.  He  offered  us  the  use  of  his  carriages,  as  there 
are  none  to  be  hired,  and,  in  the  usual  style,  desired  to 
know  in  what  he  could  be  of  service  to  us.  We  told  him 
(with  an  apology  for  our  abrupt  departure)  that  we  were 
obliged  to  set  off  to-morrow,  and  begged  his  protectioa 
on  our  journey.  He  replied,  that  he  would  give  orders 
for  guards  to  attend  us,  that  should  be  answerable  for 
everything;  that  we  need  give  ourselves  no  farther  trou- 
ble ;  that  whatever  number  of  mules  we  had  occasion  for, 
should  be  ready  at  the  door  of  the  inn,  at  any  hour  we 
should  think  proper  to  appoint :  He  added,  that  we  might 
entirely  rely  on  those  guards,  who  were  people  of  the 
most  determined  resolution,  as  well  as  of  the  most  ap- 
proved fidelity,  and  would  not  fail  to  chastise  on  the  spot 
any  person  who  should  presume  to  impose  upon  us. 

Now,  who  do  you  think  these  trusty  guards  are  com- 
posed of?  Why,  of  the  most  daring,  and  most  hardened 
villains,  perhaps,  that  are  to  be  met  with  upon  earth,  who^ 
in  any  other  country,  would  have  been  broken  upon  the 
wheel,  or  hung  in  chains  ;  but  are  here  publicly  protected, 
and  universally  feared  and  respected.  It  was  this  part  of 
the  police  of  Sicily  that  I  was  afraid  to  give  you  an  account 
of:  But  I  have  now  conversed  with  the  prince's  people 
on  the  subject,  and  they  have  confirmed  every  circum- 
stance Mr.  M.  made  me  acquainted  with. 

He  told  me,  that  in  this  cast  part  of  the  island,  called 
Val  Damoni,  (from  the  devils  that  are  supposed  to  inha- 
bit mount  iEtna),  it  has  ever  been  found  impracticable  to 
extirpate  the  banditti^  their  being  numberless  caverns 
and  subterraneous  passages  in  that  mountain,  where  no 
troops  could  possibly  pursue  them  :  That  besides^as  they 
are  known  to  be  perfectly  determined  and  resolute,  never 
failing  to  take  a  dreadful  revenge  on  all  who  have  offend- 
ed them,  the  prince  of  Villa  Franca  has  embraced  it,  not 
only  as  the  safest,  but  likewise  as  the  wisest,  and  most 
political  scheme,  to  become  their  declared  patron  and  pro- 
tector. And  such  of  them  as  think  proper  to  leave  their 
mountains  and  forests,  though  perhaps  only  for  a  timCj, 
D  2 


So  A  Tour  thi'ough 

are  sure  to  meet  with  good  encouragement,  and  security 
in  his  service  ;  they  enjoy  the  most  unbounded  confidence, 
which,  in  no  instance,  they  have  ever  yet  been  found  to 
make  an  improper  or  a  dishonest  use  of.  They  are  cloth- 
ed in  the  prince's  liv6ry,  yellow  and  green,  wilh  silver 
lace  ;  and  wear  likewise  a  badge  of  their  honourable  or- 
der, which  entitles  them  to  universal  fear  and  respect  from 
the  people. 

1  have  just  been  interrupted  by  an  tipper  servant  of  the 
prhice*s,  who,  both  by  his  looks  and  language,  seems  to 
be  of  the  same  worthy  fraternity.  He  tells  us,  that  he 
has  ordered  our  muleteers,  at  their  peril,  to  be  ready  by 
day-break  ;  but  that  we  need  not  go  till  we  think  proper : 
for  it  is  their  business  to  attend  on  nostri  eccellenzi.  He- 
says,  he  has  likewise  ordered  two  of  the  most  desperate  fel- 
lows m  the  whole  island  to  accompany  us  ;  adding,  in  a  sort 
of  whisper,  that  we  need  be  under  no  apprehension  ;  for  if 
any  person  should  presume  to  impose  upon  us  to  the  value 
of  a  single  baiocc,*  they  would  certainly  put  them  to  deaih. 
I  gave  hira  an  ounce,t  which  I  knew  was  what  he  expect- 
ed ;  on  which  he  redoubled  his  bows  and  his  eccellerzis, 
and  declared  we  were  the  most  honorabili  Signori  he  had 
ever  met  with,  and  that  if  we  pleased,  he  himself  should 
Jiave  the  honour  of  attending  us,  and  would  chastise  any 
person  that  should  dare  to  take  the  wall  of  us,  or  injure 
CIS  in  the  smallest  trifle.  We  thanked  him  for  his  aeal, 
shewing  him  we  had  swords  of  our  own.  On  which  bow- 
ing respecifully,  he  retired 

I  can  now  witii  more  assurance  give  you  some  account 

of  the  conversation  1  had  with  Siguier  M ,  who,  as  I 

said,  appears  to  be  a  very  intelligent  man,  and  has  resided 
here  for  these  maoy  years. 

He  says,that  in  some  circumstances  these  banditti  are  the 
most  respectable  people  of  the  island  ;  and  have  by  much 
the  highest  and  most  romantic  notions  of  what  they  call 
their  point  of  honour ;  That,  however  criminal  they  may 
be  with  regard  to  society  in  general,  yet,  with  respect  to 
one  another,  and  to  every  person  to  whom  they  have  once 
professed  it,  they  have  ever  maintained  the  most  unsha- 
ken fidelity.  The  magistrates  have  ofien  been  obliged 
:o  protect  them,  and  even  to  pay  them  court,  as  they  are* 

*  Sir-all  coin,  +  About  eleven  shilling's. 


Sicily  ajid  Malta,  S\ 

known  to  be  perfectly  determined  and  desperate  ;  and  so 
extremely  vindictive, that  they  willceriainly  put  any  person 
to  death,  who  has  ever  given  them  just  cause  of  provoca- 
tion. On  the  other  hand,  it  never  was  known  that  any 
person  who  had  put  himself  under  their  protection,  and 
shewed  that  he  had  confidence  in  them,  had  cause  to  re- 
pent it,  or  was  injured  by  any  of  them,  in  the  most  minute 
trifle ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they  w  ill  protect  him  from 
imposiiions  of  every  kind,  and  scorn  to  go  halves  with  the 
landlord,  like  most  other  conductors  and  travelling  ser- 
vants }  and  will  defend  him  with  their  lives,  if  there  is 
occasion.  That  those  of  their  number  who  have  inlisted 
themselves  in  the  service  of  society,  are  known  and  res- 
pected by  the  other  banditti  all  over  the  island  :  and  the 
persons  of  those  they  accompany  are  ever  held  sacred. 
For  these  reasons,^  most  travellers  choose  to  hire  a  couple 
of  them  from  town  to  town  ;  and  may  thus  travel  over  the 
whole  island  in  safety.  To  illustrate  their  character  the 
more  he  added  two  stories,  which  happened  but  a  fe\7 
days  ago,  and  are  still  in  every  body's  mouth. 

A  number  of  people  were  found  digging  in  a  place 
where  some  treasure  was  supposed  to  be  hid  during  the 
plague.:  As  this  has  been  forbid  under  the  most  severe 
penaUies,  they  were  immediately  carried  to  prison,  and' 
expected  to  have  been  treated  without  mercy  ,  but  luck- 
ily for  the  others,  one  of  these  heroes  happened  to  be  of 
the  number.  He  wrote  to  the  prince  of  Villa  Franca,  ami 
made  use  of  such  powerful  arguments  in  their  favour,  that 
they  were  all  immediately  set  at  liberty. 

This  will  serve  to  shew  their  consequence  with  the  civ- 
il power  ;  the  other  story  will  give  you  a  strong  idea  of 
their  barbarous  ferocity,  and  the  horrid  mixture  of  stub- 
born vice  and  virtue  (if  I  may  call  it  by  that  name)  that 
seems  to  direct  their  actions.  I  should  have  mentioned 
that  they  have  a  practice  of  borrowing  money  from  the 
country  people,  who  never  dare  refuse  them  ;  and  if  they 
promise  to  pay  it,  they  have  ever  been  found  puncLval  and 
exact,  both  as  to  the  time  and  the  sum  ;  and  would  much 
rather  rob  and  murder  an  innocent  person,  than  fail  of 
payment  at  the  day  appointed  ;  And  this  they  have  often 
been  obliged  to  do,  only  in  order,  as  they  say,  to  fulfil  their 
engagements,  and  to  save  their  honour. 

It  happened  within  this  fortnight,   tliat  the  brother  oT; 


32  A  Tour  through 

one  of  these  heroic  banditti  having  occasion  for  money, 
and  not  knowing  how  to  procure  it,  determined  to  make 
use  of  his  brother's  name  and  authority^  an  artifice  which 
he  thought  could  not  easily  be  discovered  ;  accordingly  he 
went  to  a  country  priest,  and  told  him  his  brother  had  oc- 
casion for  twenty  ducats,  which  he  desired  he  would  im- 
mediately lend  him.  The  priest  assured  him  that  he  had 
not  so  large  a  sum,  but  that  if  he  would  return  in  a  few 
days  it  should  be  ready  for  him.  The  other  replied,  that 
he  was  afraid  to  return  to  his  brother  with  this  answer ; 
and  desired,  that  he  would  by  all  means  take  care  to  keep 
out  of  his  way,  at  least  till  such  time  as  he  had  pacified 
him ;  otherwise  he  could  not  be  answerable  for  the  conse- 
quences.—As  bad  fortune  would  have  it,  the  very  next 
day  the  priest  and  the  robber  met  in  a  narrow  road  ;  the 
former  fell  a  trembling  as  the  latter  approached,  and  at 
last  dropped  on  his  knees  to  beg  for  mercy.  The  robber, 
astonished  at  his  behaviour,  desired  to  know  the  cause  of 
it.  The  trembling  priest  answered,  *' II  denaro,  ildena- 
ro,  the  money,  the  money— but  send  your  brother  to- 
morrow, and  you  shall  have  it/*  The  haughty  robber  as- 
sured him,  that  he  disdained  taking  money  of  a  poor 
priest ;  adding,  that  if  any  of  his  brothers  had  been  low 
enough  to  make  such  a  demand,  he  himself  was  ready  to 
advance  the  sum.  The  priest  then  acquainted  him  with 
the  visit  he  had  received  the  preceding  night  from  his  bro- 
ther, by  his  order  :  assuring  him,  that  if  had  been  master 
of  the  sum,  he  should  immediately  have  supplied  it.-— 
Well,  says  the  robber,  I  will  now  convince  you  whether 
my  brother  or  I  are  most  to  be  believed ;  you  shall  go 
with  me  to  his  house,  which  is  but  a  few  miles  distant. 
On  their  arrival  before  the  door,  the  robber  called  on  his 
brother,  who  never  suspecting  the  discovery,  immediate- 
ly came  to  the  balcony  ;  but  on  perceiving  the  priest,  he 
began  to  make  excuses  for  his  conduct.  The  robber  told 
him,  there  was  no  excuse  to  be  made  ;  that  he  only  desir- 
ed to  know  the  fact,  Whether  he  had  gone  to  borrow  mo- 
ney of  that  priest  in  his  name  or  not  ?  On  his  owning  he 
had,  the  robber  with  deliberate  coolness  lifted  up  his  blun- 
derbuss to  his  shoulder,  and  shot  him  dead;  and  turning 
to  the  astonished  priest,  "  You  will  now  be  persuaded," 
said  he,  *'  that  I  had  no  intention  of  robbing  you  at  least." 
You  may  now  judge  how  happy  we  must  be  in  the  com- 


,di» 


Sicily  and  Maka.  33 

j>a«y  of  our  guards.  I  don't  know  but  this  very  hero  may 
be  one  of  thenj ;  as  we  are  assured  they  are  two  of  the 
most  intrepid  and  resolute  fellows  in  the  island.  I  will  not 
close  this  letter,  till  I  give  you  some  account  of  our  jour- 
ney. In  the  mean  time  Adieu.  We  are  going  to  lake  a 
look  at  at  the  churches  and  public  buildings :  but  with 
these  I  shall  trouble  you  very  little. 

2 16^  at  night.  We  have  been  very  well  entert£ined 
both  from  what  we  seen  and  heard.  We  used  to  admire 
the  dexterity  of  some  of  the  divers  at  Naples,  when 
they  went  to  the  depth  of  forty-eight  or  fifiy  feet,  and 
•ould  not  conceive  how  a  man  could  remain  three  minutes 
under  water  without  drawing  breath  i  but  these  are  noth- 
ing to  the  feats  of  one  Colas,  a  native  of  this  place,  who  is 
said  to  have  lived  for  several  days  in  the  sea,  without  com»- 
ing  to  land,  and  from  thence  got  the  surname  of  Pesce,  or 
the  fish.  Some  ofihe Sicilian  authors  affirm,  that  he  caught 
fish  merely  by  his  agility  in  the  water;  and  the  credulous 
Kirchcr  asserts,  that  he  could  walk  across  the  Straits  at 
the  bottom  of  the  sea — Be  that  as  it  will,  he  was  so  much 
celebrated  for  swimming  and  diving,  that  one  of  their  kings 
(Frederick)  came  on  purpose  to  see  him  perform  :  which 
royal  visit  proved  fatal  to  poor  Pesce  ;  fbr  the  king,  after 
admiring  his  wonderful  force  and  agility,  had  the  cruelty 
to  propose  his  diving  near  the  gulf  of  Charybdis  ;  and  to 
tempt  him  the  more,  threw  in  a  large  golden  cup,  which 
was  to  be  his  prize,  should  he  bring  it  up.  Pesce  made 
two  attempts,  and  astonished  the  spectators  by  the  lime  he 
remained  under  water  :  but  in  the  third,  it  is  thought  he 
was  caught  by  the  whirlpool,  as  he  never  appeared  more  j 
and  his  body  is  said  to  have  been  found  some  time  after- 
wards near  Taurominum  (about  thirty  miles  distant)  it 
having  been  observed  that  what  is  swcillowed  up  by  Cha- 
rybdis is  carried  south  by  the  current,  and  thrown  out  up- 
on that  coast.  On  the  contrary ,  nothing  wrecked  here  was 
ever  carried  through  the  Straits,  or  tlirown  out  on  the 
north  side  of  Sicily,  unless  we  believe  what  Homer  says 
of  the  ship  of  Ulysses. 

We  have   been    again  to  take  a  view  of  the  Straits  at 
this  famous  whirlpool,  and  are  more  and  more  convinced 
that  it  must  be  infinitely  diminished  ;  indeed,  in  conipar 
ison  of  v/hat  it  was,  almost  reduced  to  nothing.     The  sea 
appeared  to  have  no  extraordinary  motion  there,  and  ships 


34  A  Tour  through 

;ind  boats  seemed  to  pass  it  with  ease.     When  we  compare 
this  its  present  state,  with  the  formidable  description  of  so 
many  ancient  authors,  poets,  historians,  and  philosophers, 
it  appears  indeed  not  improbable  that  this  island  has  been 
torn  from  the  continent  by  some  violent  convulsion,  and 
that  near  to  this  spot  huge  caverns  have   been  opened, 
which,  drinking  in  the  waters   in  one  course  of  the  cur- 
reai,  and  throwing  them  out  in  the  other,  may  perhaps,  in 
sone  measure,  account  for  the   phenomena  of  Chary  bdis 
—I  find  it  described  both  by  Homer  and  Virgil,  as  alter- 
nately swallowing  up,  and  throwing  out  every  object  that 
approached  it.*     Now,  is  it  not  probable,  that  these  cav- 
erns in  process  of  time  have  been,  in  a  great  measure, 
filled  up  by  the  immense  quantities  of  rocks,  sand,  graved, 
Sec.  that  were  perpetually  carried  in  by  the  force  of  the 
current  ? — I  own  I  am  not  quite  satisfied  with  this  solu- 
tion, but  at  present  I  cannot  think  of  a  better  : — The  fact, 
however,  is  certain,  that  it  must  have  been  a  dreadful  ob- 
ject even  in  Virgil's  time,  else  he  never  would  have  made 
i£tieas  and  his  fleet  perceive  its  effects  at  so  great  a  cUs- 
tance,  and  immediately  run  out  to  sea  to  avoid  it;    nor 
would  he  have  made  Helenus  at  such  pains  to  caution 
bim  against  that  dangerous  gulf,  and  advise  him  rather  to 
make  the  whole  tour  of  Sicily   than  attempt  to  pass  it. 
Indeed,  it  is  so  often  mentioned  both  in  the  voyage  of 
J£neas  and  Ulysses,  and  always  in  such  frightful  terms, 
that  we  cannot  doubt  of  its  having  been  a  very  terrible 
object  t 

*  Dextrum  Scylla  latus,  Ixvum  implacata  Charybdis 
Obsidet,  atque  imo  barathri  ter  gurgitc  vastos 
Sorbet  in  abruptum  fluctus,  rursusque  sub  auras 
Erigit  alternos,  et  sidera  vei'berat  unda; 

y  Seueca  gives  this  account  of  it  in  aletter  to  Lucillas  : 
''  Scyllam  saxam  esse,  et  quidem  terribile  navigantibus  optime 
£cio  :  Char}'bdis  an  respondeat  fabulis  prcscribi  mifci  desidero, 
fac  no3  certiores,  utrum  uno  tantum  vento  agr.tur  in  vortices,  aii 
oirmis  tempestas,  ac  mare  illud  contorqueat,  et  an  verum  sit 
quidqviid  illi  freti  turbine  areptunn  est,"  &,c. 

And  the  following  is  a  translation  from  Strabo. 

"  Ante  urbem  p'aululum  in  trajectu  Charybdis  ostenditur : 
Profundum  quidem  immensum  :  Quo  inundationes  fVeti  :  mirum 
in  modum  navigia  detrahnnt :  magnas  per  circumductionea,  et 
vortices  precipata,  quibus  absorptis,  ac  dissolutis,  naufragiorum 
fragraenta  ad  Tauronxitanum  lictus  attrahuntur,"  &c. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  35 

After  seeing  the  beautiful  harbour  of  Messina,  we  have 
found  nothing  much  worthy  of  notice  in  the  city.     Some 
of  the  churches  are  handsome,  and  there  are  a  few  tolera- 
ble paintings.     One  ceremony,  from  the  account  they  pvc 
it,  I  should  like  much  to  have  seen:  the  celebration  of  the 
feast  of  the  Vara.     It  appears,  indeed,  to  be  a  very  singu- 
lar exhibition,  and  I  am  heartily  sorry  it  does  not  happen 
at  this  season.     In  order  to  the  more  dignified  appearance 
of  the  Virgin  Mary  on  this  occasion,  they  have  invented  a 
very  curious  machine,  which  I  am  told  represents  heaven, 
or  at  least  a  part  of  it.     It  is  of  a  huge  size,  and  moves 
through  the  street  with  vast  pomp  and  ceremony.    In  the 
centre  is  the  principal  figure,  which   represents  the  Vir- 
gin ;  and  a  little  higher,  there  are  three  others  to  denote 
the  Trinity.     Round  these  are  a  number  of  wheels,  said  to 
be  of  a  very  curious  construction.  Every  wheel  contains  a 
legion  of  angels,  according  to  their  different  degrees  of 
precedency  :  seraphims,  cherubims,  and  powers.     These 
are  represented  by  a  great  number  of  beautiful  little  chil- 
dren, all  glittering  in  clothes  of  gold  and  silver  tissue, 
with  wings  of  painted  feathers  fixed  to  their  shoulders. 
When  the  machine  is  set  in  motion,  all  these  wheels  move 
round,  and  the  different  choirs  of  angels  continue  in  a 
constant  flutter,  singing  hallelujahs  round  the   Trinity 
and  the  Virgin  during  the  whole  of  the  procession,  and 
are  said  to  make  a  most  beautiful  appearance.     This  is  all 
I  could  learn  of  this  singular  show,  neither  were  we  ad- 
mitted to  see  the  machine ;  conscious,  I  suppose,  of  the 
ridicule  of  which  it  is  susceptible,  they  did  not  choose  to 
unveil  so  sacred  an  object  to  the  eyes  of  heretics.     This 
island  has  ever  been  famous  for  the  celebration  of  its  feasts, 
even  in  ancient  as  well  as  modern  limes.     They  spare  no 
expence  ;  and  as  they  have  a  large  share  both  of  super- 
stition and  invention,  they  never  fail  to  produce  some- 
thing either  very  fine  or  very  ridiculous.     The  feast  of  St. 
Rosolia  at  Palermo  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  shows  in 
Europe,  and  costs  that  city  every  year  a  large  sum.    They 
.assure  us  there  is  more  taste  and  magnificence  disp]aye4 

"  Est  igitur  Charybdis  (Says  Sallust)  mare  pcriculosum  nau- 
tis  ;  quod  contrai'iis  fluctuum  cursibus,  coUisionem  facit,  et  rap* 
la  qrodque  absorbet." 

But  these  are  moderate  indeed  when  corapwred  to  the  de scrips 
tlons  of  the  poets. 


S6  J  Tour  through 

in  it,  than  in  any  thinj^  of  the  kind  in  Italy ;  and  advise  us 
by  all  means  to  attend  it,  as  it  happens  some  tirtienear  the 
middle  of  summer,  when  we  shall  probably  be  in  that  end 
©f  the  island. 

If  you  please  we  shall  now  take  leave  of  Messina  ;  I  did 
not  expect  to  make  so  much  out  of  it. — But  it  would  not  be 
fair  neither,  without  at  least  putting  you  in  mind  of  the 
great  veneration  it  has  ever  been  held  in  by  the  rest  of  Si- 
cily, far  the  assistance  it  gave  to  count  Rugieroin  freeing 
the  island  from  the  yoke  of  the  Saracans  ;  in  consideration 
of  which,  great  privileges  were  granted  it  by  the  succeed- 
ing kings;  some  of  which  are  said  still  to  remain.  It 
was  here  that  the  Normans  landed  ;  and  this  city,  by  the 
policy  of  some  of  its  own  inhabitants,  was  the  first  con- 
quest they  made  ;  after  which  their  victorious  arms  were 
soon  extended  over  the  whole  island  ;  and  a  final  period 
put  to  the  Saracen  tyranny.  Count  Rugiero  fixed  the 
seat  of  government  at  Palermo  ;  and  put  the  political  sys- 
tem of  the  island  upon  a  solid  basis;  of  which  the  form 
(and  the  form  alone)  still  remains  to  this  day.  He  divided 
the  wliole  island  into  three  parts;  one  he  gave  to  his  offi- 
cers, another  to  the  church,  and  a  third  he  reserved  for 
himself.  Of  these  three  branches  he  composed  his  par. 
liament,  that  respectable  body,,  of  which  the  skeleton  now 
only  exists  ;  for  it  has  long  ago  lost  all  its  blood,  nerves, 
and  animal  spirits  ;  and  for  many  ages  past  has  been  redu- 
ced to  a  perfect  cafiut  mcrtuiun.  The  superstitious  ty- 
ranny of  Spain  has  not  only  destroyed  the  national  spirits 
of  its  own  inhabitants,  but  likewise  that  of  every  other 
country  v/hich  has  fallen  under  its  power.      Adieu. 

Ever  yours. 

P.  S.  A-propos  I  There  is  one  thing  I  had  almost  for- 
got, and  I  sh  uld  never  have  forgiven  myself.  Do  you 
know  the  most  extraordinary  phenomenon  in  the  world 
is  often  observed  near  to  this  place  ?  I  laughed  at  it  at  first 
as  you  will  do ;  but  I  am  now  convinced  of  its  reality  ; 
and  I  am  persuaded  too,  that  if  ever  it  had  been  thorough- 
ly examined  by  a  philosophical  eye,  the  natural  cause 
must  long  ago  have  been  assigned. 

It  has  often  been  remarked,  both  by  the  ancients  and 
moderns,  that  in  the  heat  of  summer,  after  the  sea  and 
air  have  been  much  agitated  by  the  winds,  and  a  perfect 
calm  succeeds,  there  appears,  about  the  time  of  daMrn>  in 


Sicily  and  Malta.  37 

that  part  of  the  heavens  over  the  Straits,  a  great  variety  of 
singular  forms,  some  at  rest  and  some  moving  about  with 
great  velocity.  These  forms,  in  proportion  as  the  light 
increases,  seengi  to  become  more  aerial,  till  at  last,  some- 
time before  sun-rise,  they  entirely  disappear. 

The  Sicilians  represent  this  as  the  most  beautiful  sight 
in  nature  :  Leanti,  one  of  their  latest  and  best  writers, 
came  here  on  purpose  to  see  it :  he  s^ys,  the  heavens  ap- 
peared crowned  with  a  variety  of  objects :  he  mentions 
palaces,  woods,  gardens,  &c.  besides  the  figures  of  men, 
and  other  animals,  that  appear  in  motion  amongst  them. 
No  doubt,  the  imagination  must  be  greatly  aiding,  in 
forming  this  xrial  creation;  but  as  so  many  of  their  auth- 
ors, both  ancient  and  modern,  agree  in  the  fact,  and  give 
an  account  of  it  from  their  own  observation,  there  certain- 
ly must  be  some  foundation  for  the  story.  Thero  is  one 
Giardini,  a  Jesuit,  who  has  lately  written  a  treatise  of  this 
phenomenon,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  it ;  the  cele- 
brated Messinese  Gallo  has  likewise  published  something 
on  this  singular  subject ;  if  I  can  procure  either  of  them 
in  the  island,  you  shall  have  a  more  perfect  account  of  it. 
The  common  people,  according  to  custom,  give  the  whole 
merit  to  the  devil ;  and  indeed  it  is  by  much  the  shortest 
and  easiest  way  of  accounting  for  it.  Those  who  pretend 
to  be  philosophers,  and  refuse  him  this  honour,  are  great- 
ly puzzled  what  to  make  of  it.  They  think  it  may  be 
owing  to  some  uncommon  refraction  or  reflection  of  the 
rays,  from  the  water  of  the  Straits  ;  which,  as  it  is  at  that 
time  carried  about  in  a  variety  of  eddies  and  vortexes, 
must  consequently,  say  they,  make  a  variety  of  appearan- 
ces on  any  medium  where  it  is  reflected.  This,  I  think, 
is  nonsense  ;  or  at  least  very  near  it ;  and  till  they  can 
say  more  so  the  purpose,  I  think  they  had  much  better 
have  left  it  in  the  hands  of  the  old  gentleman.  I  suspect 
it  is  something  in  the  nature  of  our  Aurora  Borealis,  and, 
like  many  of  the  great  phenomena  of  Nature,  depends  up- 
on electrical  causes  j  which,  in  future  ages,  I  have  little 
doubt,  will  be  found  to  be  as  powerful  an  agent  in  regula- 
ting the  universe,  as  gravity  is  in  this  age,  or  as  the  subtle 
fluid  was  in  the  last. 

The  electrical  fluid,  m  this  country  of  volcanoes,  is  pro- 
bably produced  in  a  much  greater  quantity  than  in  any 
other.     The  air,  strongly  impregnated  with  this  matter; 

E 


38  A  Tour  through 

and  confined  betwixt  two  ridges  of  mountains ;  at  the  same 
time  exceedingly  agitated  from  below  by  the  violence  of 
the  current,  and  the  impetuous  whirling  of  the  waters  ; 
may  it  not  be  supposed  to  produce  a  variety  of  appearan- 
ces? And  may  not  the  lively  Sicilian  imaginations,  ani- 
mated by  a  beliet  in  demons,  and  all  the  wild  offspring  of 
superstition,  give  these  appearances  as  great  a  variety  of 
forms  ?  Remember,  I  do  not  say  it  is  so  :  and  hope  yet  to 
have  it  in  my  power  to  give  you  a  better  account  of  this 
matter.. However,  if  you  should  suppose  me  in  this  story, 
or  in  any  future  one  I  may  tell  you,  to  be  inclined  to  the 
fabulous,  you  will  please  to  remember  that  I  am  now  in 
the  country  of  fable  ;  this  island  having  given  rise  to  more 
perhaps,  except  Greece,  than  all  the  world  beside.  You 
have,  therefore,  only  to  suppose  that  these  regions  arc 
still  contagious ;  and  cvill  to  mind  that  Mount  iEtna  has 
ever  b'3en  the  great  mother  of  monsters  and  chimeras  both 
in  the  ancient  and  modern  world.  However,  I  shall,  if 
possible*  keep  free  of  the  infection,  and  entertain  you  only 
with  subjects  as  fall  under  my  own  observation.  But  in- 
deed, from  what  I  have  already  heard  of  that  wonderful 
mountain,  the  most  moderate  account  of  it  would  appear 
highly  fabulous  to  all  such  as  are  unacquainted  with  ob- 
jects of  this  kind.  Adieu.  We  think  of  setting  off  to- 
morrow by  day-break.  I  am  sorry  it  has  not  been  a  storm, 
that  we  might  have  had  a  chance  of  seeing  Pandemonium 
reared  over  our  heads,  and  all  the  devils  at  work  around  it. 
I  shall  leave  this  to  be  sent  by  the  first  post,  and  shall 
write  you  again  from  Catania,  if  we  escape  unhurt  from 
all  the  perils  of  ^Etna.     Adievi. 


LETTER  V. 

Giardini^  near  Tauro7niimmy  May  22. 

WE  have  had  a  delightful  JDurney,  and  if  all  Sicily 
be  but  T\s  agreeable,  we  shall  not  repent  of  our 
expedition  We  left  Messinaeaily  this  morning,  with 
€ix  mules  for  ourselves  and  serWnts,  and  two  for  our  bag- 
gage. This  train,  I  assure  you,  makes  no  contemptible 
appearance  ;  particularly  when  you  call  to  mind  our  front 


Sicily  and  Malta,  39 

and  rearguard  ;  by  much  the  most  conspicuous  part  of  it. 
These  are  two  great  drawcansir  figures  armed  cap-a-pee.» 
with  a  broad  hanger,  two  enormous  pistols  and  a  long 
arqucbuse  :  this  ihey  kept  cockt  and  ready  for  action  in 
all  suspicious  places  ;  where  they  recounted  abundance  of 
wonderful  stories  of  robberies  and  murders ;  some  of  them 
with  such  very  minute  circumstances,  that  I  am  fully  per- 
suaded they  themselves  were  the  principal  actors.  How- 
ever, I  look  upon  our  bituaiinn  as  perfectly  secuite ;  they 
pay  us  great  respect,  and  take  the  utmost  pnins  thai  we 
shall  not  be  imposed  upon.  Indeed,  1  think  they  im- 
pose upon  every  body  except  us  ;  for  they  tax  the  bills 
according  to  their  pleasure  ;  and  such  cheap  ones  I  never 
paid  before.  To-day's  dinner  for  eleven  men  (our  three 
muleteers  included)  and  feeding  for  ten  mules  and  horses 
did  not  amount  to  half  a  guinea.  And  although  we  pay 
them  high,  (an  ounce  a  day  each),  yet  1  am  persuaded 
they  save  us  at  least  one  half  of  it  on  our  bills.  They 
iiave  entertained  us  with  some  of  their  feats,  and  make  no 
scruple  of  owning  their  having  put  several  people  to 
death  ;  but  add,  «  Mas  tulti,  tutti  honorabilmente," — that 
is  to  say,  they  did  not  do  it  in  a  dastardly  manner,  nor 
without  just  provocation. 

The  sea-coast  of  Sicily  is  very  rich  ;  the  sides  of  some 
of  the  mountains  are  highly  cultivated,  and  present  the 
most  agreeable  aspect  that  can  be  imagined  : — corn,  wine, 
oil,  and  silk  all  mixed  together,  and  in  the  greatest  abun- 
dance :  However,  the  cultivated  part  is  but  small  in  pro- 
portion to  what  is  lying  waste,  and  only  serves  to  shew 
the  great  fertility  of  this  island,  were  it  peopled  and  in  in- 
dustrious hands  The  sides  of  the  road  are  covered  with 
a  variety  of  flowers  and  of  flowering  shrubs  ;  some  of 
them  exceedingly  beautiful.  The  inclosures  are  many  of 
them  fenced  with  hedges  oftheIndianfig,or  prickly  pear;  as 
m  Spain  and  Portugal  ;  and  our  guides  assure  us,  that  in 
many  of  the  parched  ravines  round  ^tna,  there  are  plenty 
of  trees  which  produce  both  cinnamon  and  pepper ;  not 
»0  strong  they  allow  as  those  of  the  spice  islands,  but 
v/hich  are  sold  to  the  merchants  at  a  low  price,  by  a  set  of 
banditti,  who  dress  themiselves  like  hermits  :  These  spi- 
ces are  mixed  with  theTiue  pepper  and  cinnamon  from 
the  Indies,  and  sent  over  all  Europe. 

The  road  from  Messina  to  this  place  is  extremely  ro- 


40  A  Tour  through 

inantic.  It  lies  the  whole  way  along  the  coast,  and  com» 
mands  the  view  of  Calabria,  and  the  south  part  of  the 
Straits ;  covered  with  chebecks,  galleys,  galliots,  and  a 
quantity  of  fishing-boats.  The  view  on  the  right  hand  is 
confined  by  high  mountains,  on  the  very  sumn/iis  of  which 
they  have  built  several  considerable  towns  and  villages, 
which  with  their  churches  and  steeples  make  a  very  pictu- 
resque appearance.  They  have  chosen  this  elevated  sit- 
uation, I  suppose,  with  a  double  view;  to  protect  them 
from  their  enemies,  and  from  the  violent  heat  of  the  cli- 
mate :  tills  forenoon  we  found  it  excessive,  but  had  the 
finest  swimming  in  the  world  before  dinner  ;  which  kept 
lis  cool  and  fresh  for  all  the  rest  of  the  day.  We  have  be- 
sides provided  ourselves  with  um.brellas,  without  whic-h, 
at  this  season,  travelling  would  be  impracticable. 

Betwixt  this  place  and  Messina)^  little  to  the  right,  lie 
the  mountains,  formerly  called  the  Nebrodes  ;  and  like- 
^vise  the  mountain  of  Neptune,  which  is  reckoned  the 
highest  of  that  chain.  It  is  celebrated  for  a  gulf  or  crater 
on  its  summit,  from  whence  at  particular  times,  there  is- 
sues an  exceeding  cold  wind,  with  such  violence,  that  it 
is  difficult  to  approach  it.  I  was  sorry  to  pass  this  singu- 
lar mountain,  but  it  would  have  delayed  us  a  day  or  two 
to  visit  it ;  and  we  are  hastening  with  impatience  to  a 
much  greater  object :  It  is  now  named  II  monto  Scuderio, 
and  is  said  to  be  so  high  that  the  Adriatic  can  be  seen 
from  its  summit.  From  the  description  they  give  of  it,  it 
appears  evidently  to  be  an  old  volcano.  The  Nisso  take% 
its  rise  from  this  mountain  ;  a  river  renowned  in  antiqui- 
ty for  the  gold  found  in  its  channel ;  for  which  reason,  it 
was  by  the  Greeks  called  Crysothoas.  It  is  said,  the  re- 
mains of  the  ancient  gold  mines  are  still  to  be  seen  near 
the  source  of  the  river;  but  the  modern  masters  of  Sicily 
have  never  been  enterprising  enough  to  explore  them. 
It  was  on  this  charming  coast,  where  the  flocks  of  Apollo 
were  kept  by  his  daughters,  Phoethusa  and  Lampetie  ; 
the  seizing  of  which  by  Ulysses'  companions,  proved  the 
cause  of  their  deaths,  and  of  all  his  subsequent  misfor- 
tunes. The  mountain  of  Tauromina  is  very  high  and 
steep,  and  the  road  up  to  it  is  e^eedhigly  rugged. 

This  once  famous  city  is  now  reduced  to  an  insignifi- 
cant burgh  ;  yet  even  these,  small  remains  give  c    "  '   ' 


Sicilij  and  Malta.  41 

idea  of  its  former  magnificence.  The  theatre,  I  tliink,  is 
accounted  the  largest  in  the  world.  It  appears  to  me 
greatly  superior  to  that  of  Adrian's  villa,  near  Rome.  It 
is  entire  enough,  to  give  a  very  tolerable  idea  of  the  Ro- 
man theatre,  and  indeed  astonishes  by  its  vastness ;  nor 
can  I  conceive  how  any  voice  would  extend  through  the 
prodigius  number  of  people  it  must  have  contained.  I 
paced  about  one  quarter  of  it,  over  the  boxes  that  were  in- 
tended for  the  women,  which  is  not  near  the  outward  cir- 
cle of  all ;  the  rest  is  so  broken,  tliat  I  could  get  no  far- 
ther. It  measured  about  1^0  ordinary  steps,  so  that  you 
may  conceive  the  greatness  of  the  whole.  The  seats 
front  iSlount  ^Etna,  which  makes  a  glorious  appearance 
from  this  place ;  and  no  doubt  has  often  diverted  their  at- 
tention from  the  scene.  It  arises  from  an  immense  base, 
and  mounts  equally  on  all  sides  to  its  summit :  it  is  just  no\T 
throwing  out  volumes  of  while  smoke,  which  do  not  rise 
ia  the  air,  but  seem  to  roll  down  the  sides  of  the  mountain 
like  a  vast  torrent.  The  ascent  of  iEina  on  each  side  is 
computed  at  about  30  miles,  and  the  circumference  of  its 
base  at  150:  I  think  it  does  not  appear  to  be  so  much: 
but  I  shall  probably  be  enubled  to  give  you  a  fuller  ac- 
count of  it  afterwards. 

After  admiring  the  great  theatre  of  Taurominurr.  we 
went  to  examine  the  Naumachia,  and  the  reservoirs  for 
supplying  it  with  water.  About  150  paces  of  one  side  of 
the  wall  of  the  Nuumacia  remains  ;  but  as  this  is  not 
ct^mplete,  there  is  no  judging  of  its  original  dimensionb. 
This  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  huge  square,  inclosed 
with  strong  walls,  and  capable  of  being  filled  with  water 
on  occasion  ;  intended  for  the  exhibition  of  sea-fights,  and 
all  naval  exercises  :  There  were  four  reservoirs  for  sup- 
plying this  with  M'ater.  All  are  upon  the  same  grand 
scale.  One  of  these  is  almost  entire  ;  it  is  supported  by 
a  great  number  of  strong  pillars,  in  the  same  manner  as 
those  of  Titus*  baths  at  Rome,  and  several  others  you 
may  have  seen  in  Italy. — I  would  dwell  longer  on  objects 
of  this  kind;  but  I  am  persu  ided  descriptions  can  give 
but  a  very  imperfect  idea  of  them  ;  and  to  mark  out  the 
precise  dimensions  with  a  mathematical  exactness,  where 
there  is  nothing  very  remarkable,  must  surely  be  but  a 
dry  work,  both  to  the  writer  and  reader.  I  shall  there- 
fore content  myself  (I  hope  it  will  content  you  too)  with 
E  2 


42  A  Tour  through 

endeavoring  to  communicate,  as  entire  as  possible,  the 
same  impression  I  myself  shall  receive,  without  descend- 
ing too  much  to  particulars  ;  or  fatiguing  myself  or  you 
with  th.e  mensuration  of  antique  walls  merely  because 
they  are  such,  except  where  there  is  indeed  somethinc; 
very  striking  and  different  too,  from  what  has  already 
been  described  in  Italy. 

1  own  I  despair  of  success :  Few  things  I  believe  in 
writing  more  difficult  than  thus  "  s*empurer  de  Timagina- 
tion,"  to  seize — to  make  ourselves  masters  of  the  reader's 
imagination,  to  carry  it  along  with  us  through  every  scene, 
and  make  it  in  a  manner  congenial  with  our  own  ;  every 
prosp:ct  opening  upon  him  with  the  same  light,  and  aris- 
ing in  the  same  colours,  and  at  tlie  same  instant  too,  as 
upon  us  :  For  where  descriptions  fail  in  this,  the  pleasure 
cf  reading  them  must  be  very  trivial.  Now,  perhaps,  this 
same  journal  style  is  the  most  favourable  of  any  to  pro- 
duce these  effects.  It  is  at  least  the  most  agreeable  to 
the  wriier  :  who  never  has  his  subject  to  seek,  but  needs 
only  recollect  what  has  passed  since  he  last  laid  down  the 
pen,  and  travel  the  day  over  again  ;  and  if  he  travels  it  to 
good  purpose,  it  ought  to  be  equally  agreeable  to  the 
reader  too,  who  thereby  becomes  one  of  the  party,  and 
bears  a  share  in  all  the  pleasures  of  the  journey,  without 
buffering  from  the  fatigues  of  it. 

One  of  my  great  difficulties,  I  see,  will  be  the  findinp; 
proper  places  to  write  in,  for  the  inns  arc  altogether  exe- 
crable,and  there  is  no  such  thing  as  getting  a  room  to  one's 
self:  I  am  just  now  writing  oji  the  end  of  a  barrel,  which 
1  chose  rather  than  the  table,  as  it  is  farther  removed  from 
uoise.  I  must  therefore  entreat  you,  once  for  all,  to  excuse 
incorrectness  and  want  of  method.  How  can  one  be  meth- 
odical upon  abarrel? — It  has  ever  been  the  most  declared 
enemy  to  method.  You  might  as  well  expect  a  sermon  from 
Bacchus,  or  a  coherent  speech  from  our  friend  Lord— — — 
after  he  has  finished  the  third  bottle.  You  will  be  pleased 
then  just  to  take  things  as  they  occur.  Were  I  obliged 
10  be  strictly  methodical,  I  should  have  no  pleasure  in 
writing  you  these  letters  ;  and  then  if  my  position  is  just, 
you  could  have  no  pleasure  in  reading  them. 

Our  guards  have  procured  us  beds,  though  not  in  the 
town  of  Taurominum,  but  in  Giardini,  a  village  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountaia  on  which  it  stands.    This  people  are  ex- 


Sicily  and  Malta  4:> 

tremely  altentive,  and  have  produced  us  an  excellejit  sup- 
per and  good  wine,  which  now  waits — but  shall  wait  no 
longer.  Adieu.  To-morrow,  we  intend  to  climb  Mount 
.^.'.na  on  this  (its  east)  side,  if  we  find  it  practicable. 

Ever  yours 


LETTER  VI. 

Catania^  May  24. 

I  AM  already  almost  two  days  in  arrears.  Yesterday 
we  were  so  much  fatigued  with  the  abominable  roads 
of  Mount  iEtna,  that  I  was  not  able  to  wield  a  pen ;  and 
to-day,  I  assure  you,  has  by  no  means  been  a  day  of  rest ; 
however,  I  must  not  delay  any  longer,  otherwise  I  shall 
never  be  able  to  make  up  my  lee-way.  I  am  afraid  you 
will  suffer  more  from  the  fatigues  of  the  journey  than  I  at 
first  apprehended. 

We  left  Giardini  at  five  o'clock.  About  half  a  n.ile 
farther  the  first  region  of  Mount  ^Etna  begins,  and  here 
they  have  set  up  the  statue  of  a  saint,  for  having  prevent- 
ed the  lava  from  running  up  the  mountain  of  Tauron:i- 
num,  and  destroying  the  adjacent  country  ;  which  the 
people  think  it  certainly  must  have  done,  had  it  not  been 
for  this  kind  interposition  ;  but  he  very  wisely,  as  well 
as  humanely,  conducted  it  down  a  low  valley  to  the  sea. 

We  left  the  Catania  road  on  the  left, and  began  to  ascend 
the  moutain,  in  order  to  visit  the  celebrated  tree,  known 
)y  the  name  of//  Castagno  de  Cento  Cavalli  (the  chesnut 
tree  of  a  hundred  horse  :)  which  for  soir.e  centuries  past 
has  been  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest  wonders  cf 
-£tna.  We  had  likewise  proposed  if  possible,  to  g-ain  the 
summit  of  the  mountain  by  this  side,  and  to  descend  by 
the  side  of  Catania  ;  but  we  were  soon  convinced  cf  tliC 
impossibility  of  this,  and  obliged,  with  a  good  deal  of  re- 
luctance, to  relinquish  that  part  of  our  scheme. 

As  we  advanced  in  the  first  region  of  jEtna,  we  cbserv 
ed  that  there  had  been  eruptions  of  fire  all  over  this  colii- 
try  at  a  great  distance  from  the  summit,  or  principal  crater 
of  the  mountain.  On  our  road  to  the  village  of  Piedmonte^ 
I  took  notice  of  several  very  considerable  craters;  and 
stones  of  a  large  size,  scattered  all  around,  that  h?d  beerx 


44  A  Tour  through 

(hscharged  from  them.  These  stones  are  precisely  such 
as  are  thrown  out  of  the  crater  of  Mount  Vesuvius  ;  and, 
indeed,  the  lava  too  seems  to  be  of  the  same  nature, 
though  rather  more  porous. 

The  distance  from  Giardini  to  Piedmonte  is  only  ten 
miles,  but  as  the  road  is  exceedingly  rough  and  difficult, 
we  took  near  four  hours  to  travel  it.  The  barometer, 
which  at  Giardini  (on  the  sea  side)  stood  at  29  inches  10 
lines,  had  now  fallen  to  27  :  3.  Fahrenheit's  thermome- 
ter (made  by  Mr,  Adams  in  London)  tZ  degrees.  We 
found  the  people  extremely  curious  and  inquisitive  to 
know  our  errand,  which  when  we  told,  many  of  them  of- 
fered to  accompany  us.  Ofthese  we  chose  two  ;  and  af- 
ter drinking  our  tea,  which  was  matter  of  great  specula- 
tion to  the  inhabitants,  who  had  never  before  seen  a  break- 
fast ot'  this  kind,  we  began  to  climb  the  mountain. 

We  were  directed  for  five  or  six  miles  of  our  road  by 
an  aqueduct,  which  the  Prince  of  Palagonia  has  made  at 
a  great  expence,  to  supply  Piedmonte  with  water.  Af- 
ter we  left  the  aqueduct,  the  ascent  became  a  good  deal 
more  rapid,  till  we  arrived  at  the  beginning  of  the  second 
region,  called  by  the  natives  la  Regione  Sylvosa,  or  the 
woody  region  ;  because  it  is  composed  of  one  vast  forest, 
that  extends  all  around  the  mountain.  Part  of  this  was 
destroyed  by  a  very  singular  event,  not  later  than  the  year 
1755.  During  an  eruption  of  the  volcano,  an  immense 
torrent  of  boiling  water  issued,  as  is  imagined,  from  the 
great  crater  of  the  mountain,  and  in  an  instant  poured 
down  to  its  base,  overwhelming  and  ruining  every  thing 
it  met  with  in  its  course.  Our  conductors  shewed  us  the 
traces  of  the  torrent,  which  are  still  very  visible  ;  but  are 
now  beginning  to  recover  verdure  and  vegetation,  vrhich 
for  some  time  appeared  to  have  been  lost.  The  track  it 
has  left  seems  to  be  about  a  mile  and  a  half  broad  ;  and  in 
some  places  still  more. 

The  common  opinion,  I  find  is,  that  this  water  was  rais- 
ed by  the  power  of  suction,  through  some  communica- 
tion betwixt  the  volcano  and  the  sea  ;  the  absurdity  of 
which  is  too  glaring  to  need  a  refutation.  The  power  of 
suction  alone,  even  supposing  a  perfect  vacuum,  could 
never  raise  water  to  more  than  thirty-three  or  thirty-four 
fleet,  which  is  equal  to  the  weight  of  a  column  of  air  the 
T^hole  height  of  the  atmosphere.    But  this  circumstance. 


Sicily  and  Malta,  45 

I  should  imagine,  might  be  easily  enough  accounted  for  ; 
either  by  a  stream  of  lava  issuing  suddenly  into  one  of  the 
valleys  of  snow,  that  occupy  the  higher  regions  of  the 
mountain,  and  melting  it  down  ;  or  what  I  think  is  siili 
more  probable,  that  the  melted  snow,  finding  vast  cav- 
erns and  reserviors  in  the  mountain,  where  it  is  lodged  for 
some  time,  till  the  extensive  ]:eat  of  the  lava  below  burst 
the  sides  of  these  caverns,  produces  this  phendmenon, 
which  has  been  matter  of  great  speculation  to  the  Sicilian 
philosophers,  and  has  employed  the  pens  of  several  of 
ihcm.  The  same  thing  happened  in  an  eruption  of  Ve- 
suvius last  century,  and  in  an  instant  swept  away  about 
five  hundred  people,  who  were  marching  in  procession  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountain,  to  implore  the  mediation  of  St. 
Januarius. 

Near  to  this  place  we  passed  through  some  beautiful 
woods  of  cork  and  ever  green  oak,  growing  absolutely  out 
of  the  lava,  the  soil  having  as  yet  hardly  nlied  the  crevices 
of  that  porous  substance  ;  and,  not  a  great  way  farther,  I 
observed  several  little  mountains  that  seemed  to  have 
been  formed  by  a  late  eruption.  I  dismounted  from  my 
mule,  and  climbed  to  the  top  of  them  ah.  They  are  sev- 
en in  num.ber;  every  one  of  them  with  a  regular  cup  or 
crater  on  the  top,  and  in  some  the  great  gulf  or  (as  they 
call  it)  Voragine^  that  had  discharged  the  burnt  matter  of 
which  these  little  mountains  are  formed,  !5  still  open.  I 
tumbled  stones  down  into  these  gulfs,  and  heard  the  noise 
for  a  long  time  after.  All  the  fields  round,  to  a  conside* 
rable  distance,  are  covered  with  large  burnt  stones  dis- 
charged from  these  little  volcanr.es. 

From  this  place,  it  is  not  less  than  five  or  six  miles  to 
the  great  chesnut-trees,  through  forests  growing  out  of 
the  lava,  in  several  places  almost  impassable.  Of  these 
trees  there  are  many  of  an  enormous  size  ;  but  the  Cas- 
tagao  de  Cento  Cavalli  is  by  much  the  most  celebrated  I 
have  often  found  it  marked  in  an  old  map  of  Sicily,  pub- 
lished near  an  hundred  years  ago  ;  and  in  all  the  maps  of 
jEtna,  and  its  environs,  it  makes  a  very  conspicuous 
figure.  I  own  I  was  by  no  means  struck  with  its  appear- 
ance, as  it  does  not  seem  to  be  one  tree,  but  a  bush  of  five 
large  trees  growing  together.  We  complained  to  our 
guides  of  the  imposition,  when  they  unanimously  assured 
us,  that  by  the  universal  tradition,  and  even  testimony  of 


46  A  Tour  through 

the  country,  all  these  were  once  united  in  one  stem  ;  that 
their  grandfathers  remembered  this,  when  it  was  looked 
upon  as  the  glory  of  the  forest,  and  visited  from  all  quar- 
ters ;  that  for  many  years  pjst  it  had  been  reduced  to  the 
venerable  ruin  we  beheld.  We  began  to  examine  it  with 
more  attention,  and  found  that  there  was  indeed  an  ap- 
pearance, as  if  these  five  trees  had  really  been  once  united 
in  one.  The  opening  in  the  middle  is  at  present  prodi- 
gious ,  and  it  does  indeed  require  faith  to  believe,  th^t  so 
vast  a  space  was  once  occupied  by  solid  timber. — Bur  there 
is  no  appearance  of  bark  on  the  inside  of  any  of  the  stumps, 
nor  on  the  sides  that  are  opposite  to  one  another.  Mr. 
Glover  and  I  measured  it  separately  and  brought  it  exact- 
ly to  the  same  size,  viz.  two  hundred  and  four  feet  round. 
If  this  was  once  united  in  one  solid  stem,  it  must  with 
justice  indeed  have  been  looked  upon  as  a  very  wondeifnl 
phenomenon  in  the  vegetable  world,  and  was  deservedly 
sliled  the  glory  of  the  forest. 

I  have  since  been  told  by  the  Canonico  Recupero,  an  in- 
genious ecclesiastic  of  this  place,  that  he  was  at  the  ex- 
pence  of  carrying  up  peasants  with  tools  to  dig  round  the 
Cast  igno  de  Cento  Cavilla  ;  and  he  assures  me,  upon  his 
honour,  that  he  found  all  these  stems  united  below  ground, 
in  one  root.  I  alledged  that  so  extraordinary  an  Object 
must  have  been  mentioned  by  many  of  their  writers.  He 
told  me  that  it  had,  and  produced  several  examples ;  Phi- 
lateo,  Carrera,  and  some  others.  Carrera  begs  to  be  ex- 
cused from  telling  its  dimensions,  but  says,  he  is  sure 
there  was  wood  enough  in  that  one  tree  to  bui:d  a  large 
palace.  Their  poet  B^golini  too  has  celebrated  a  tree  of 
the  same  kind,  perhaps  the  same  tree  ;*  and  Massa,  one  of 
their  most  esteemed  authors,  says  th^t  he  has  seen  solid 
oaks  up'VHi'ds  of  forty  feet  round  ;  but  adds,  that  the  size 
of  the  chesnui  trees  was  beyond  belief,  the  hollow  of  one 
of  which,  he  says,  contained  three  hundred  sheep  ;  and 
thirty  people  on  horseback  had  ofien  been  in  it  at  a  time. 
I  shall  not  pretend  to  say,  that  this  is  the  same  tree  he 
means  ;  or  whether  it  ever  was  one  tree  or  not.     There 

*  Supremos  inter  montes  monstrosior  omni 
Monstrosi  fsetum  stipitis  JEtpk  deJit 
C-istaneam  g-enuit,  cujus  modo  concava  cortex 
Tarmam  equitujnhaud  parvam  continet,  atque  greges,  &♦. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  47 

are  many  others  that  are  well  deserving  the  curiosity  of 
travellers.  One  of  them  about  a  mile  and  a  half  higher 
on  the  mountain,  is  called  //  Castagno  Ue  Galea  ;  it  rises 
from  one  solid  stem  to  a  considerable  height,  after  which 
it  branches  out,  and  is  a  much  finer  object  than  the  other. 
I  measured  it  about  two  ftet  from  the  ground,  and  found 
it  seventy-six  feet  round  There  is  a  third  culled  //  C'fl«- 
tagno  del  JVave,  that  is  pretty  rearly  of  the  same  size. 
AH  these  grow  on  a  thick  rich  soil,  formed  originally,  I 
believe,  of  ashes  thrown  out  by  the  mountain. 

The  climate  here  is  much  more  temperate  than  in  the 
first  region  of  jEtna,  where  the  excessive  heats  must  ever 
prevent  a  very  luxuriant  vegetation.  Ifound  the  barometer 
had  now  fallen  to  26  :  Si ;  which  announces  an  elevation 
of  very  near  40Q0  feet ;  equivalent,  in  the  opinion  of 
some  of  the  French  academicians,  to  18  or  20  degrees  in 
the  formation  of  a  climate. 

The  vast  quantity  of  nitre  contained  in  the  ashes  of 
^Ema,  probably  contributes  greatly  to  increase  the  luxuri- 
ance of  this  vegetation  ;  and  the  air  too,  strongly  impreg- 
nated with  it  from  the  smoke  of  the  volcano,  must  create 
a  constant  supply  of  this  salt,  termed  by  some,  not  with- 
out reason,  the  food  of  vegetables. 

There  is  the  ruins  of  a  house  in  the  inside  of  the  great 
chesnut-lree  which  had  been  built  for  holding  the  fruit  it 
bears,  which  is  still  considerable  ;  here  we  dined  with 
excellent  appetite,  and  being  convinced,  that  it  was  in 
vain  to  attempt  getting  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  on  that 
oide,  we  began  to  descend ;  and  after  a  very  fatiguing 
journey  over  old  lavas,  now  become  fertile  fields  and  rich 
vineyards,  we  arrived  about  sunset  at  Jaci  Beale,  whe  e, 
with  no  small  difficulty,  we  at  last  got  lodging  in  a  convent 
of  Dominicans. 

The  last  lava  we  crossed  before  our  arrival  there,  is  of  a 
vast  extern ;  I  thought  we  never  should  hav6  had  done 
with  it;  it  certainly  is  not  less  than  six  or  se\ en  miles 
broad,  and  appears  in  many  places  to  be  of  an  enormous 
depth. 

When  we  came  near  to  the  sea,  I  was  desirous  to  see 
what  fjrm  it  had  assume^in  meeting  with  the  water.  I 
went  to  exarrse  it,  and  foSp  it  had  driven  back  the  waves 
for  upwards  of  a  mile,  anohad  formed  a  li  rge  black  high 
promontory,  where  befcPeit  was  deep  water.     This  lava, 


^8 


A  Tour  through 


imagined,  from  its  barrenness,  for  it  is  as  yet  covered 

jlwith  a  very  scanty  soil,  had  run  from  the  mountain  only  a 

!W  ages  ago ;  but  was  surprised  to  be  informed  by  Signi- 

[ipr  Recupero,  the  historiographer  of  ^Etna,  that  this  very 

ifiava  is  mentioned  by  Diodorus  Sicuhis  to  have  burst  from 

{^tnain  the  time  of  the  second  Punic  war,  when  Syracuse 

Uvas  besieged   by  the  Romans.     A  detachment  was  sent 

ifrom 'I'aurominum  to  the  relief  of  the  besieged.     They 

iwere  stopped  on  their  march  by  this  stream  of  lava,  which 

^having  reached  the  sea  before  their  arrival  at  the  foot  of 

the  mountain,  had  cut  off  their  passage  ;  and  obliged  them 

to  return  by  the  back  of  ^Etna,  upwards  of  one  hundred 

liles  about.     His  authority  for  this  he  tells  me.  was  taken 

from  inscriptions  on  Roman  monuments  found  on  this  lava, 

md  that  it  was  likewise  well  ascertained  by  many   of  the 

>ld  Sicilian  authors.     Now  as  this  is  about  two  thousand 

yearsago,  one  would  have  imagined, if  lavas  have  a  regular 

►rogress  in  becoming  fertile  fields,  that  this  must  long  ago 

lave  become  at  least  arable  :  this  however  is  not  the  case, 

ind  it  is  as  yet  only  covered  with  a  very  scanty  vegetation, 

Lnd  incapable  of  producing  either  corn  or  vines.     There 

kare   indeed  pretty  large  trees  growing  in   the  crevices, 

fwhich  are  full  of  a  rich  earth  ;  but  in  all  probability  it  will 

>e  some  hundred  years  yet  before  there  is  enough  of  it  to 

render  this  land  of  any  use  to  the  proprietors. 

It  is  curious  to  consider,  that  the  surface  of  this  black 
^and  barren  matter,  in  process  of  time,  becomes  one  of  the 
lost  fertile  soils  upon  earth  :  But  what  must  be  the  time 
|to  bring  it  to  its  utmost  perfection,  when  after  two  thous- 
md  years  it  is  still  in  most  places  but  a  barren  rock? — Its 
►rogress  is  possibly  as  follows.     The  lava  being  a  very 
>orous  substance,  easily  catches  the  dust  that  is  carried 
ibout  by  the  wind ;  which,  at  first,  I  observe  only  yields 
kind  of  moss  ;  this  rotting,  and  by  degrees  increasing 
le  soil,  some  small  meag.e  vegetables  are  next  produ- 
ced ;  which  rotting  in  their  turn,  are  likewise  converted 
[into  soil.     But  this  progress  I  suppose,  is  often  greatly 
^accelerated  by  showers  of  ashes  from  the  mountain,  as^I 
lave  observed  in  some  places  the  richest  soil,  to  the 
lepth  of  five  or  six  feet  an^upwards ;    and  still  below 
that,  nothing   but   rocks   ofSra.     It  is  in   these   spots 
that  the  trees  arriveaL^utfli  an  immense  size.  Their  roots 
^hoot  into  the  o^tKes  of  tlf^  lava,  and  lay  such  hold 


Siciiy  and  Maka.  4^ 

of  it,  that  there  is  no  instance  of  the  winds  tearin|^ 
them  up ;  though  there  are  many,  of  its  breaking 
©ff  their  largest  branches.  A  branch  of  one  of  the  great 
chesnut  trees,  which  we  passed  yesterday,  has  fallen  across 
a  deep  gulley,  and  formed  a  very  commodious  bridge  over 
the  rivulet  below.  The  people  say  it  was  done  by  St. 
Agatha,  the  guardian  saint  of  the  mountain,  who  has  the 
superintendence  of  all  its  operations. 

In  the  lowest  part  of  the  first  region  of  ^tna,  the  har- 
vest is  almost  over;  but  in  th€  upper  parts  of  the  same 
region,  near  the  confines  of  the  Regione  Sylvosa,  it  will 
not  begin  for  several  weeks. 

The  reapers,  as  v/e  went  along,  abused  us  from  all 
quarters,  and  more  excellent  blackguards  I  have  never 
met  with  ;  but  indeed,  our  guides  were  a  full  match  for 
them.  They  began  as  soon  as  we  were  within  hearing, 
and  did  not  finish  till  we  were  got  quite  without  reach  of 
their  voices,  which  they  extended  as  much  as  they  could. 
As  it  was  all  in  Sicilian,  we  could  make  very  little  of  it, 
but  by  the  interpretation  of  our  guides  ;  however,  we 
could  not  help  admiring  the  volubility  and  natural  elocu- 
tion with  which  they  spoke.  This  custom  is  as  old  as  the 
time  of  the  Romans,  and  probably  much  older,  as  it  is 
mentioned  by  Horace,  and  others  of  these  authors.  It  is 
still  in  vogue  here  as  much  as  ever  ;  the  masters  encou- 
rage it ;  they  think  it  gives  them  spirits,  and  makes  the 
work  go  on  more  cheerfully  :  and  I  believe  they  are  right, 
for  it  is  amazing  what  pleasure  they  seemed  to  take  in  itj 
and  what  laughing  and  merriment  it  occasioned. 

I  forgot  to  mention  that  we  passed  the  source  of  the 
famous  cold  river  Cil  Jiume  Freddo.J  This  is  the  river 
so  celebrated  by  the  poetsjui  the  fable  of  Acis  and  Galatea. 
It  was  here  that  Acis  was  fmpposed  to  have  been  killed  by 
Polyphemus,  and  the  gods  out  of  compassion  converted 
him  into  this  river;  which,  as  still  retaining  the  terror  in- 
spired by  the  dreadful  voice  of  the  Cyclops,  runs  with, 
great  rapidity,  and  about  a  mile  from  its  source,  throwa 
itself  into  the  sea.  It  rises  at  onceout  of  the  earth  a  large 
stream.  Its  water  is  remarkably  pure,  aiid  so  extremely- 
cold,  that  it  is  reckoned  dangerous  to  drink  it ;  but  I  am 
told  it  has  likewise  a  poiso^us  quality,  which  proceeds 
from  its  being  impregnated  with  vitriol  to  such  a  degree, 
(hat  cattle  have  often  been  killed  by  it.    It  nover  freezes; 

F 


50  A  To7ir  through 

but,  what  is  remarkable,  it  is  said '  often  to  contract  a  ite- 
3^ree  of  cold  greater  than  that  of  ice. 

These  particulars  I  was  informed  of  by  the  priests  at 
Aci;  which  place,  anciently  called  Aci  Aquileia,  and 
several  others  near  it,  Aci  Castello,  Aci  Terra,  &c.  take 
their  names  from  the  unfortunate  shepherd  Acis. 

A  little  to  the  east  of  the  river  Acis,  is  the  mouth  of  the 
fiver  Alcantara,  one  of  the  most  considerable  in  the  island. 
It  takes  its  rise  on  the  north  side  of  Mount  Jltna,  and 
marks  out  thet)oundary  of  the  mountain  for  about  sixty 
miles.  Its  course  has  been  stopped  in  many  places  by  the 
eruptions  of  the  volcano  ;  so  that,  strictly  speaking,  the 
skirts  of  ^tna  extend  much  beyond  it,  though  it  has  gen- 
erally been  considered  as  the  boundary  We  passed  it 
on  our  way  toPiedmonte,  overa  large  bridge  built  entire- 
ly of  lava ;  and  near  to  this  the  bed  of  the  river  is  contin- 
ued for  a  great  way,  through  one  of  the  most  remarkable, 
and  probably  one  of  the  most  ancient  lavas  that  ever  run 
from  jEtna.  In  many  places  the  current  of  the  river, 
which  is  extremely  rapid,  has  worn  down  the  solid  lava  to 
the  depth  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet.  Recupero,  the  gentleman 
I  have  mentioned,  who  is  engaged  in  writing  the  natural 
history  of -(Etna,  tells  me,  he  had  examined  this  lava  with 
great  attention,  and  he  thinks  that  its  course,  including  all 
its  windings,  is  not  less  than  forty  niiles.  Ir  issued 
from  a  mountain  on  the  north  side  of  jEtna,  and  finding 
some  valleys  that  lay  on  the  east,  it  took  its  course  that 
way,  interrupting  the  Alcantara  in  many  places,  and  at 
last  arrived  at  the  sea,  not  far  from  the  mouth  of  that 
river. 

The  city  of  Jaci,  or  Aci,  and  mdeed  all  the  towns  on 
this  coast,  are  founded  on  infl^|ense  rocks  of  lava,  neaped 
»ne  above  another,  in  some  places  to  an  amazing  height; 
for  it  appears  that  these  fl?.niing  torrents,  as  soon  as  they 
arrived  at  the  sea,  were  hardened  into  rock,  which  not 
yielding  any  longer  to  the  pressure  of  the  liquid  fire  be- 
hind, the  melted  matter  continuing  to  accunmlate,  formed 
a  dam  of  fire,  which  ^n  a  short  time  run  over  the  solid 
front,  pouring  a  second  torrent  into  the  ocean  ;  this  was 
immediately  consolidated  and  succeeded  by  a  third,  and 
so  on.  0 

Many  of  the  places  on  the  coast  still  retain  their  sncient 
names ;  but  the  properties  ascribed  to  them  by  the  ancients 


Sicily  and  Malta.  51 

are  now  aomore.  The  river  Acis,  which  is  now  so  poi- 
sonous, was  of  old  celebrated  by  the  sweetness  and  salu- 
brity of  its  waters  i*  which  Theocritus  says,  were  ever 
held  sacred  by  the  Sicilian  shepherds. 

We  were-  surprised  to  find  that  so  many  places  retained 
the  name  of  this  swain,  uho,  I  imagined,  had  never  exist- 
ed, but  in  the  im^g^ination  of  the  poets:  but  the  Sicilian 
authors  say,  that  Aci^  'Vis  the  name  of  a  king  who  reign- 
ed in  this  part  of  ihe  isln.id  in  the  time  of  the  most  remote 
antiquity  ;  i:i  cQjihrmaiiDn  of  which  M.^ss^  gives  the  tr  ns- 
lation  of  an  irsc  iption  fot'nd  near  AciCasteilo  t  He  is 
syid  to  have  been  slain  in  a  fit  of  jealousy  by  Polyphemus, 
one  of  the  giatils  of  Jitn  i,  which  gave  rise  to  the  fable. 
Anguillara,  a  Sicilian  poet,  in  relating  this  story,  gives  a 
tremen^ious  idea  of  the  v-ice  of  Pol)  phemus  ;  the  passage 
^as  been  gieatly  admired. 

'*  Tremoper  troppo  horrore  ^tna;  e  Tlfeo 
Fece  maggior  la  fiamma  uscir  del  monte; 
E  Pacchino,  e  Peloro,  e  Lilibeo 
Quasi  attuifar  nel  mar  I'altera  fronte ; 
Cadde  il  martel  di  man  nel  Monte  Etneaeo, 
All  Re  di  Lenno,  a  Sterope,  e  a  Bronte ; 
Fugir  fiere  et  augei  di  lo  ricetto 
£  si  strinse  ogni  madre  il  siglio'al  Petto.*' 

You  will  observe,  however,  that  the  Sicilian  poet  can- 
not in  justice  claim  the  entire  merit  of  these  Hies,  as 
they  are  evidently  borrowed  from  Virgil's  description  of 
the  sound  of  the  Fury  Alecto's  horn,  in  the  7th  iEneid. 
The  last  line,  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  of  the  whole,  is 
almost  word  for  word  : 


*  Quique  per  JStnaeos  Acid^tit  aequora  fines 
Et  dulce  gratum  Nereide  persuit  unda. 


Sii.  ITAZ. 


t  mm. 

OGNIiE,  SATURN  I JE,  iETN^J^ 

DEORUM, 

MARTI,  FILTiE,  UXORI, 

IN  POR  ru^ 

SEPULCHRUM,  TBMPLUM,  ET  ARCBM 

ACIS, 

FAUNI  FILIUS^  RICI  NEP03, 

SATURNI  PRONEPOS, 

LATINI  FRATEB. 


•'1"^  4  Tour  thrmgb 

*'"jfik  trepidaz  aiatr«3  pre&sere  ad  pectora  taUs^*' 

It  has  been  observed  toO)  by  some  critics,  that  evcQ  this 
description  of  Virgil  is  not  his  own,  but  copied  from  the 
account  that  Apollonius  Rhodius  gives  of  the  roaring  of 
the  dragon  that  guarded  the  golden  fleece :  so  that  yoti 
9ee  there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun.  Rhodius  proba- 
bly stole  it  from  somebody  else,  and  so  on.  Poeis  have 
ever  been  the  greatest  of  all  thieves ;  and  happy  it  is  that 
poetical  theft  is  no  felony  ;  otherwise,  I  am  afraid,  Par- 
nassus would  have  been  but  thinly  peopled. 

Farewell ;  to-morrow  I  shall  endeavour  to  bring  yoU 
up  with  us;  for  at  present  you  will  please  to  observe,  that 
you  hav<J  got  no  farther  than  the  city  of  Jaci ;  and  have 
still  many  extinguished  volcanoes  to  pass  before  your  a^f- 
rival  here.  Ever  yours,  8cc. 


Better  tif. 

Catania^  May  S.S>. 

THE  road  from  Jaci  to  this  city  is  entirely  over  law^j 
and  consequently  very  fatiguing  and  troublesome- 
Within  a  few  miles  of  this  place,  we  counted  eight  moun- 
tains formed  by  eruptions,  with  every  one  its  crater,  from 
whence  the  burnt  matter  was  discharged.  Some  of  thesQ 
are  very  high,  and  of  a  great  compass.  It  appears  evi- 
dently that  the  eruptions  of  Mount  iEina  have  formed 
the  whole  of  the  coast,  and  in  many  places  have  drivew 
back  the  sea  for  several  miles  from  its  ancient  boundary. 
The  account  the  Sicilian  autlS|'s  give  of  the  conflict  be- 
twixt these  two  adverse  elements  is  truly  tremendous  ; 
and  in  relating  it,  they  seem  to  have  bee  n  shaken  with 
horror.  Conceive  the  front  of  a  torrent  of  fire,  ten  miles 
in  breadih,  and  heaped  up  to  an  enormous  height,  rolling 
down  the  mountain,  and  pouring  its  flames  into  the  ocean  ! 
The  noise,  they  assure  us,  is  infinitely  more  dreadful  than 
the  loudest  thunder ;  and  is  heard  through  the  whole 
country  to  an  immense  distance.  The  water  seemed  to 
retire  and  diminish  before  the  fire,  and  to  confess  its  su- 
periority ;  yielding  up  its  possessions,  and  contracting  its 
banks,  to  make  room  for  its  imperious  Master  who  ccrti- 


«&V%  and  Malta.  5^ 

mands  Tt :  *•  Thus  far  shalt  thou  come,  and  no  farther."-^ 
The  clouds  of  salt  vapour  darken  the  face  of  the  sun., 
covering  up  this  scene  under  a  veil  of  horror  and  of  night ; 
and  laying  waste  every  field  and  vineyard  in  these  re- 
gions of  the  isiund.  The  whole  fish  on  the  coast  are  des- 
troyed, the  colour  of  the  sea  itself  is  changed,  and  the 
transparency  of  its  waters  lost  for  many  months. 

There  are  three  rocks  of  lava  at  some  little  distance 
from  shore,  which  Pliny  takes  frequent  notice  of,  and  calls 
them  the  Three  Cyclops.  It  is  pretty  singular,  that  they 
are  still  distinguished  by  the  same  name. 

The  fate  of  Catania  has  been  very  remarkable,  and  will 
ever  appear  fabulous.  It  is  situated  immediately  at  the 
foot  of  this  great  volcano>  and  has  been  several  times  des- 
troyed by  it :  That  indeed  is  not  extraordinary  ;  it  would 
have  been  much  more  so  had  it  escaped  ;  but  what  I  am 
going  to  relate  is  a  singularity  that  probably  never  hap- 
pened to  any  city  but  itself.  It  was  always  in  great  want 
of  a  port,  till  by  an  eruption  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and 
no  doubt,  by  tho  interposition  of  St.  Agaths,  what  was 
denied  them  by  nature,  they  received  from  the  generosity 
of  the  mountain.  A  stream  of  lava,  running  into  the  sea, 
formed  a  mole  which  no  expense  could  have  furnished 
them  This  lasted  for  some  time  a  safe  and  commoc-irus 
harbour,  till  at  last,  by  a  subsequent  eruption,  it  was  en- 
tirely filled  up  and  demolished,  so  that  probably  the  poor 
saint  had  sunk  much  in  her  credit ;  for  at  this  unfortunate 
period,  hwr  miraculous  veil,  looked  upon  as  the  greatest 
treasure  of  Catania,  and  esteemed  an  infallible  remedy 
against  earthquakes  and  volcanoes,  seems  to  have  lost  its 
virtue.  The  torrent  burst  over  the  walls,  sweeping  away 
the  images  of  every  saint  that  were  placed  thereto  oppose 
it;  and,  1  vying  waste  great  part  of  this  beautiful  city, 
poured  into  the  sea.  However,  the  people  say,  thai  at 
that  lime  they  had  given  their  saint  just  provocation,  but 
th  it  she  had  long  ago  been  reconciled  to  them  ;  and  has 
promised  ntvr  to  suffer  the  mountain  to  get  the  better  of 
them  for  the  future.  Many  of  them  are  bo  thoroughly 
convinced  of  this  (for  they  are  extremely  superstitious} 
thit  I  really  believe  if  the  lava  were  at  their  walls,  they 
would  not  he  at  the  p.ins  to  remove  their  effects.  Nei- 
ther is  it  the  veil  of  St  Agathu  alone  that  they  thii.k  pos- 
sessed of  this  wonderful  dorcijidn  over  the  mountain,  but 
¥  2 


5^4  A  Tour  through 


'i>' 


every  thing  that  has  touched  that  piece  of  sacred  attife, 
they  suppose  is  impregnated  in  a  lesser  degree  wiih  the 
same  miraculous  properiie«j.  Thus  there  are  a  nun>ber 
of  little  bits  of  cotton  and  linen  fixed  to  the  veil;  which, 
after  being  blessed  by  the  bishop,  are  supposed  to  acquire 
power  enough  to  save  any  person's  house  or  garden  ;  and 
-.vherever  this  expedient  has  failed,  it  is  always  ascribed 
to  the  want  of  faith  of  the  person,  not  to  any  want  of  effi- 
cacy in  the  veil.  However,  they  tell  you  many  stones  of 
;hese  bits  of  cotton  being  fixed  to  the  walls  of  houses  and 
vineyards,  and  preserving  them  entirely  from  the  con- 
ilagration. 

On  our  arrival  at  Catania,  we  were  amazed  to  find  that 
in  so  noble  and  beautiful  a  city  there  was  no  such  thing  a^ 
an  inn.  Our  guides,  indeed,  conducted  us  to  a  house  they 
called  such ;  but  it  was  so  wretchedly  mean  and  dirtyj 
that  we  were  obliged  to  look  out  for  other  lodgings;  and 
by  the  assistance  of  the  Canonico  Recupero,  for  whom 
>ye  had  letters,  we  soon  found  ourselves  comfortably  lodged 
).n  a  convent.  The  prince  of  Biscaris  (the  governor  of  the 
place)  a  person  of  very  great  merit  and  distinction,  re- 
turned our  visit  this  forenoon,  and  made  us  the  most  obli- 
>^iT\%  offers. 

Signior  Recupero,  who  obligingly  engages  to  be  oar 
Glcercne,  has  shewn  us  some  curiovis  remains  ©f  antiqui- 
ry ;  but  they  have  been  ail  so  shaken  and  shattered  by  the. 
ii^ountain,  that  hardly  any  thing  is  to  be  found  entire. 

Near  to  a  vault,  which  is  now  thirty  f^et  below  ground, 
and  has  probably  been  a  burial  place,  there  is  a  draw-welj^ 
where  there  are  several  strata  of  lavas,  with  earth  to  a 
considerable  thickness  over  the  surface  of  each  stratuniv 
Recupero  has  made  use  of  this  as  an  argument  to  prove 
ifre  great  antiquity  of  the  eruptions  of  his  mountain.  For 
as  it  requires  two  thousand  years  or  upwards  to  form  a 
scanty  soil  on  the  surface  of  a  lava,  there  must  have  been 
more  than  that  space  of  lime  betwixt  each  of  the  erup- 
tions which  have  formed  these  strata.  But  what  shall 
've  say  ofa  pit  they  sunk  near  to  Jaci,  of  a  great  depih  ? 
They  pierced  through  sev^n  distinct  lavas  one  under  the 
other,  the  surfaces  of  which  were  parallel,  and  most  of 
them  covered  with  a  thick  bed  of  rich  earth.  Now,  says- 
he,  the  eruption  which  formed  the  lowest  of  these  lavas., 
if  we  may  be  allowed  to  reason  from  analogy,  must  have, 
•lo^ved  from  the  mountain  at  least  M,OGO  years  ago. 


Sidiy  a?td  Malta.  55' 

Recupero  tells  me  he  is  exceedingly  embarrassed  by 
these  discoveries  in  writing  the  history  of  the  mountain. 
—  That  Moses  hangs  like  a  dead  weight  upon  him,  and 
blunts  all  his  zeal  for  inquiry  ;  for  that  really  he  has  not 
the  conscience  to  make  his  mountain  so  young  as  that 
prophet  makes  the  world. — What  do  you  think  of  these 
sentiments  from  a  Roman  Catholic  divine  ? — The  bishop, 
who  is  strenuously  orthodox — for  it  is  an  excellent  sec— - 
has  already  warned  him  to  be  upon  his  guard,  and  not  to 
pretend  to  be  a  better  natural  historian  than  Moses  ;  nor 
to  presume  to  urge  any  thing  that  may  in  \he  smallest 
'^.ea;ree  be  deemed  contradictory  to  his  sacred  authority: 

Adieu.  Ever  yoUTs. ' 


LETTER  VIII 

Catania^  May  S«i>v 

THIS  morning  wrwent  to  see  the  house  and  mtiseuir. 
of  the  prince  of  Biscaris  ;  which,  in  antiques,  is  in- 
ferior to  none  I  have  ever  seen,  except  that  of  the  king 
if  Naples  at  Portici.  What  adds  greatly  to  the  value  of 
nese  is,  that  the  prince  himself  has  had  the  satisfaction 
•>r  seeing  the  most  of  them  brought  to  light.  He  has  dug. 
;hem  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  theatre  of  Catania,  at 
an  incredible  expence  ;  but  happily  his  pains  have  been 
^mply  repaid,  by  the  number  and  variety  of  curious  objects 
he  has  discovered.  It  would  be  endless  to  enter  into  an 
enumeration  of  them  ;  even  during  our  short  stay,  we 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  part  of  a  rich  Corinihiaa 
t3ornice,  and  several  pieces  of  statues,  produced  again  to 
the  light,  after  lying  for  so  many  ages  in  darkness  and 
(•blivion.  His  collection  of  medals,  cameois,  and  intaglios 
b  likewise  very  princely,  and  so  are  the  articles  in  natu- 
ral history  :  but  the  polite  and  amiable  behaviour  of  the 
Awner,  gives  more  pleasure  than  all  his  curiosities.  He 
?iid  not,  ostentatiously,  like  the  prince  of  Villa  Franca,  tell 
us  that  his  house  and  carriages  were  at  our  command  j 
but  without  any  hint  being  given  of  it,  we  found  his  coach 
waiting  at  our  door  ;  and  we  shall  probably  be  obliged  to 
njake  use  of  it  during  our  stay.  His  family  consists  of 
\he  princess  hi-s  wife,  a  son,  and  a  daughter,  whc-  seem  t«i 


d6*  a  Tour  through 

emulate  each  other  in  benignity.  They  put  me  in  mind 
of  some  happy  families  I  have  seen  in  our  own  country, 
but  resemble  nothing  we  have  met  with  on  the  continent. 
He  is  just  now  building  a  curious  villa  on  a  promontory 
formed  by  the  lava  of  1669.  The  spot  where  the  house 
stands  was  formerly  at  least  fifty  feet  deep  of  water ;  and 
the  height  of  the  lava  above  the  present  level  of  the  sea,  is 
not  less  than  fifty  more. 

This  afternoon  I  walked  out  alone  to  examine  the  ca- 
pricious forms  and  singular  appearances  that  this  destruc- 
tive branch  has  assumed  in  laying  waste  the  country.  I 
had  not  gone  far  when  I  spied  a  magnificent  building  at 
jk)ip6  distance,  which  seemed  to  stand  on  the  highest  part 
of  it.  My  curiosity  led  me  on,  as  I  had  heard  no  mention 
of  any  place  on  this  side  of  the  city.  On  entering  the 
great  gate,  my  surprise  was  a  good  deal  increased  on  ob- 
serving a  facade  almost  equal  to  that  of  Versailles  ;  a  no- 
ble staircase  of  white  marble,  and  every  thing  that  an- 
nounced a  royal  magnificence.  I  had  never  heard  that 
the  kings  of  Sicily  had  a  palace  at  Catania,  and  yet  I  could 
not  account  for  what  I  saw  in  any  other  way.  I  thought 
the  vast  front  before  me  had  been  the  whole  of  the  palace  ; 
but  conceive  my  amazement,  when  on  turning  the  corner, 
I  found  another  front  of  equal  greatness;  and  discovered 
that  what  I  had  seen  was  only  one  side  of  a  square. 

I  was  no  longer  in  doubt,  well  knowing  that  the  church 
alone  could  be  mistress  of  such  magnificence.  I  hastened 
home  to  communicate  this  discovery  to  my  friends,  when 
I  found  the  Canonico  Recupero  already  with  them.  He 
abased  me  exceedingly  for  presuming  to  go  out  without 
our  Cicerone,  and  declared  he  had  never  been  so  much 
disappointed  in  his  life ;  as  he  had  come  on  purpose  to 
oarry  us  there,  and  to  enjoy  our  su)'prise  and  astonishment. 
He  then  told  us, that  it  was  no  otki.r  than  a  convent  of  fat 
Benedictine  monks,  who  were  d'-'termined  to  make  sure 
©f  a  paradise,  at  least  in  this  worl*',  if  not  in  the  other.  He 
addeil,  that  they  were  worth  ab.'/Ut  15,000  pounds  a  year; 
an  inmense  sum  indeed  for  this  couTury 

We  went  with  Recupero  to  pay  our  respects  to  these 
sons  of  humility,  temperance,  and  mortification;  and 
we  must  own,  they  received  an?  entertiiihed  us  with 
great  civility  and  poluenebs,  and  t^ven  without  osttntaiion. 
Their  museum  is  little  inferior  to  that  of  the  prmce  of  Bis- 


SiciU/  and  Mali(i\  S^t' 

cans,  aiid  the  apartments  that  contain  it  are  much  more 
tnagiiificent.  But  their  garden  is  the  greatest  curiosity  : 
although  it  be  formed  on  the  rugged  and  barren  surface 
of  the  lava,  it  has  a  variety  and  a  neatness  seldom  to  be 
met  with.  The  walks  are  broad  and  paved  with  flints  : 
and  the  trees  and  hedges  (which  by  the  by  are  in  a  bad 
taste,  and  cut  into  a  number  of  ridiculous  shapes)  thrive 
exceedingly.  The  whole  soil  must  have  been  brought 
from  a  great  distance,  as  the  surface  of  this  lava  (only  150 
years  old)  is  as  hard  and  bare  as  a  piece  of  iron.  The 
(Aurch  belonging  to  this  convent,  if  finished,  would  be 
ane  of  the  finest  in  Europe :  but  as  it  is  founded  on  the 
.surface  of  the  porous  and  brittle  lava,  part  of  the  founda- 
tion has  given  way  to  the  pressure  of  so  huge  a  fabric ; 
and  several  of  the  large  arches  that  were  intended  to  form 
the  different  chapels,  have  already  fallen  down.  Only 
the  west  limb  of  the  cross  (not  a  fifth  of  the  whole)  is  finv 
ished  ;  and  even  this  alone  makes  a  very  fine  church.— 
Here  they  have  the  finest  organ  I  ever  heard,  even  supe- 
rior, I  think,  to  that  of  Haarlem. 

We  went  next  to  examine  where  the  lava  had  scaled 
the  walls  of  Catania.  It  must  have  been  a  noble  sight.-— 
The  walls  are  sixty  four  palms  high,  (near  sixty  feet)  and 
of  great  strength ;  otherwise  they  must  have  been  borne 
down  by  the  force  of  the  flaming  matter  which  rose  over 
thb  height,  and  seems  to  have  mounted  considerably  above 
the  top  of  the  wall  before  it  made  its  entry  ;  at  last  it  came 
down,  sweeping  before  it  every  saint  in  the  calendar,  who 
were  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle  oa  purpose  to  oppose  ivs 
passage  ;  and  marching  on  in  triumph,  annihilated,  in  a 
manner,  every  object  that  dared  to  oppose  it.  Amongst 
pther  things,  it  covered  up  some  fine  fountains  ;  one 
of  which  was  so  much  esteemed,  that  they  have  at  a  great 
expence  pierced  through  the  lava,  and  have  now  recover- 
ed their  favourite  spring.  This  excavation  is  a  very  cu- 
rious work,  and  worthy  of  the  attention  of  travellers. 

Catania  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  most  ancient  cities 
in  the  island,  or  indeed  in  the  world. — Their  legends  bear, 
that  it  was  founded  by  the  Cyclops,  or  giants  of  iEtna,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  first  inhabitants  of  Sicily  after  the 
deluge:  and  some  of  the  Sicilian  writers  pretend  that  it 
was  built  by  Deucalion  and  Pyrrha  a^  soon  as  the  waters 
Bu'dsidcd;  and  thay  had  got  down  again  to  the  foot  of  ??ffe 


58  A  Tour  fhroiigk 

mountaia.    Its  ancient  name  was  Catetna,  or  the  city  of 
J£tna. 

It  is  now  reckoned  the  third  city  in  the  kingdom : 
thoug-h  since  Messina  was  destroyed  by  the  plague,  it 
may  be  well  considered  as  the  second.  It  contains  up- 
wards of  thirty  thous;*nd  inhabitants ;  has  an  university, 
thc^  only  one  in  the  isUncI ;  and  a  bishopric.  The  bishop's 
revenues  are  considerable,  and  arise  princpally  from  the 
sole  of  the  snow  on  Mount  ^tna  ;  one  small  portion  of 
which,  lying  on  the  north  of  the  mountain,  is  said  to  bring 
him  upwards  of  L.  1000  a  vear;  for  iEtna  furnishes  snov/ 
and  ice  not  only  to  the  whole  island  of  Sicily,  but  likewise 
to  Malra,  and  a  great  part  of  Italy,  and  makes  a  very  con- 
siderable branch  of  commerce  ;  for  even  the  peasants  in 
these  hot  countries  regale  themselves  with  ices  during  the 
summer  heals;  and  there  is  no  entertainment  given  by 
the  nobility,  of  which  these  do  not  make  a  principal  part; 
a  famine  of  snow,  they  themselves  say,  would  be  more 
grievous  than  a  famine  either  of  corn  or  wine.  It  is  a 
eommon  observation  amongst  them,  that  without  the 
snows  of  Mount  ^tna,  their  island  could  not  be  inhabited ; 
so  essential  has  this  article  of  luxury  become  to  them. 
But  jEtna  not  only  keeps  them  cool  in  summer,  but  like- 
wise keeps  them  warm  in  winter ;  the  fuel  for  the  great- 
est part  of  this  island  being  carried  from  the  immense 
and  inexhaustible  forests  of  this  volcmo,  and  constitutes 
too  a  very  large  branch  of  commerce  —But  this  amazing 
mountain  perpetually  carries  me  away  from  ray  subject; 
I  was  speaking  of  this  city — What  of  it  was  spared  by 
the  eruption  of  1669,  was  totally  ruined  by  the  fatal  earth- 
quake 1693;  when  the  greater  part  of  its  inhabitants 
were  buried  under  the  walls  of  their  houses  and  churches. 
Yet,  after  such  repeated  and  such  dismal  disasters,  so 
strange  is  their  infatuation,  that  they  could  never  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  change  their  situation  The  whole  city 
xvas  soon  rebuilt,  after  a  new  and  an  elegant  plan,  and  is 
now  much  handsomer  than  ever.  There  is  scarce  any 
doubt,  that  in  some  future  commotion  of  the  mountain,  it 
will  be  again  laid  in  ashes.  But  at  present  they  are  in 
perfect  security  :  the  Virgin  and  St.  Agatha  have  botb 
engaged  to  protect  them  ;  and  under  their  banner  they 
hold  iEtna,  with  all  the  devils  it  contains,  at  defiance. 

There  are  many  remains  of  antiquity  in  this  city,,bvit 


Sicily  ana  Malta.  59 

indeed  most  of  them  are  in  a  very  ruinous  state.  One  of 
the  most  remarkible  is  an  elephant  of  lava,  with  an  obelisk 
•f  Egyptian  granite  on  his  back.  There  are  likewise  con- 
fflderable  remains  of  a  great  theatre,  besides  the  one  be- 
longing to  the  prince  of  Biscaris;  a  large  bath  almost  en- 
tire ;  the  ruins  of  the  great  aqueduct,  eighteen  miles 
long,  the  ruins  of  several  temples,  one  of  Ceres,  another 
•f  Vulcan  :  the  church  called  Bocca  di  i^woco  was  likewise 
a  temple  But  the  most  entire  of  all  is  a  small  rotundo, 
which,  as  well  as  the  pantheon  at  Rome,  and  some  others 
to  be  met  with  in  Italy,  in  my  opinion,  demonstrates  that 
form  to  be  the  most  durable  of  any.  . 

It  has  now  been  purged  and  purified  from  all  the  in- 
fection contracted  from  the  heathen  rites,  and  become  a 
Christian  church,  dedicated  to  the  blessed  Virgin,  who 
has  long  been  constituted  viniversal  legatee,  and  executrix 
to  all  the  ancient  goddesses,  celestial,  terrestrial,  and  in- 
fernal :  and,  indeed,  little  more  than  the  names  are  chan- 
ged, the  things  continuing  pretty  much  the  same  as  ever. 
The  Catholics  themselves  do  not  attend  to  it :  but  it  is 
not  a  little  curious  to  consider,  how  small  is  the  deviation 
in  almost  every  article  of  their  preseat  rites  from  those  of 
the  ancients  I  have  somewhere  seen  an  observation, 
which  seems  to  be  a  just  one  :  that  during  the  long  reign 
of  heathenism,  superstition  had  altogether  exhausted  her 
talent  for  invention :  so  that  when  a  superstitious  spirit 
seized  Christians  they  were  under  the  necessity  cf  bor- 
rowing from  their  predecessors,  and  imitating  some  part 
of  their  idolatry.     Thi«  appears  to  b<^  strictly  the  case.     I 

took  notice  of  it  to  Signior  R ,  who  is  not  the  most 

zealous  sectary  in  the  world,  and  who  frankly  owned  the 
truth  of  this  observation. 

In  some  places  the  very  same  images  still  remain  :  they 
have  only  chri-tened  them ;  and  what  was  Venus  orProspe- 
rine,  is  now  Mary  Magdalene  or  the  Virgin  The  same 
cert^monies  are  daily  performed  before  these  images  ;  ia 
the  same  language,  and  nearly  in  the  same  manner  The 
saints  are  perpetually  coming  down  in  person,  and  work- 
ing miracles,  as  the  heathen  gods  did  of  old.  The  wall.s'' 
of  the  temples  are  covered  with  the  vows  of  pilgrims  as 
they  were  formerly.  The  holv  water,  which  was  held  in 
such  detestation  by  the  first  Christians,  is  again  revered^ 
and  sprinkled  about  with  the  same  devotion  as  in  the  time 


&)  A  Tour  throu^Jl 


'i>' 


of  Paganism.  The  same  incense  is  burnt,  by  prie&ts  ^ki- 
uayed  in  the  same  manner,  with  the  same  grimaces,  and 
genuflections,  before  the  same  images,  and  in  the  same 
temples  too.  In  short,  so  nearly  do  the  rites  coincide, 
that  were  the  Pagan  high-priest  to  come  back,  and  re-as- 
sume his  functions,  he  would  only  have  to  learn  a  few 
new  names ;  to  get  the  Mass,  the  Paters,  and  the  Aves 
by  heart ;  which  would  be  much  easier  to  him,  as  they 
are  in  a  language  he  understands,  but  of  which  his  mod- 
ern successors  are  often  ignorant.  Some  things,  to  be 
sure,  would  puzzle  him  ;  and  he  would  swear  that  all  the 
mysteries  of  Elysium  were  nothing  to  the  amazing  mys- 
tery of  transubstantiation ;  the  only  one  that  ever  at- 
tempted to  set  both  our  understanding  and  our  senses  at 
defiance,  and  baffles  equally  all  the  faculties  both  of  the 
soul  and  body  He  would,  likewise,  be  a  good  deal  at  a 
loss  to  account  for  the  strange  metamorphosis  of  some  of 
his  old  friends.  That  (he  would  say)  I  can  well  remem- 
ber, was  the  statue  of  Venus  Meretrix,  and  was  only  wor- 
shipped by  the  lose  and  voluptuous.  She  seems  to  be 
wonderfully  improved  since  you  made  her  a  christian ;  for 
I  find  she  is  now  become  the  great  protectress  of  chastity 
and  virtue.— Juno  too,  who  was  so  implacable  and  so  re- 
vengeful, you  have  softened  down  into  a  very  moderate 
sort  of  deity  ;  for  I  observe  you  address  her  with  as  little 
fear  or  ceremony  as  any  of  the  rest  of  them;  1  wish  yoU 
would  make  the  Furies  Christians  too,  for  surely  they 
would  be  much  the  better.— But,  observing  the  figure  of 
St.  Anthony,  he  would  exclaim  with  astonishment,  But 
what  do  I  behold  I—Jupiter,  the  sovereign  of  gods  anti 
men,  with  a  ragged  cluak  over  his  shoulders  !  What  a  hu- 
miliating spectacle !  Well  do  I  remember,  with  what  awe 
we  went  before  that  once  respectable  image.  But  what 
has  become  of  the  thunderbolt,  which  he  held  in  his  han4 
to  chastise  the  world ;  and  what  is  that  he  has  got  in  its 
place  ?  His  conductor  would  tell  him,  that  it  was  only  a 
piece  of  rope,  with  knots  upon  it,  to  chastise  himself;  ad- 
ding, that  he  was  now  doing  penance  for  his  long  usurpa- 
tion ;  and  that  the  thunder  had  long  ago  been  put  into  bet- 
ter hands.  However,  he  would  soon  find,  that  even  these 
saints  sometimes^  change  their  names,  according  to  the 
enthusiastic  caprice  of  the  people  ;  and  from  this  versa- 
tility, he  would  still  be  in  hopes,  in  process  of  time,  to  see 
his  £riend  re-sissume  hi»  bolt  and  his  dignity. 


Sicily  and  MalU.  Ol 

Do  you  remember  old  Huet — the  greatest  of  all  origi- 
nals ?  One  day,  as  he  passed  the  statue  of  Jupiter  in  the 
capilol,  he  pulled  off  his  hat,  and  made  him  a  bow. — A 
Jacobite  gentleman  who  observed  it,  asked  him  why  he 
paid  so  much  respect  to  the  old  gentleman. — For  the  same 
reason,  replied  Huet,  that  you  pay  so  much  to  the  Pre- 
tender. Besides,  added  he,  I  think  there  is  rather  a  great- 
er probability  that  his  turn  will  come  round  again,  than 
that  of  your  hero!  I  shall  therefore  endeavour  to  keep 
well  with  him,  and  hope  he  will  never  forget  that  I  took 
notice  of  him  in  the  time  of  his  adversity. 

Indeed,  within  the  course  of  my  own  observation,  I  can 
recollect  some  of  the  most  capital  saints  in  the  calendar, 
who  have  been  disgraced  by  the  people,  and  new  names 
given  to  their  statues.  When  we  were  in  Ponugal  last 
war,  the  people  of  Castel  Branco  were  so  enraged  at  St. 
Antonio,  for  allowing  the  Spaniards  to  plunder  their  tov/n, 
contrary,  as  they  affirmed,  to  his  express  agreement  with 
them,  that  they  broke  many  of  his  statues  to  pieces  ;  and 
one  that  had  been  more  revered  than  the  rest,  they  took 
the  head  off  and  clapped  on  one  of  St.  Francis  in  its  place  j 
whose  name  the  statue  ever  afterwards  retained.  Even 
the  great  St.  Januarius  himself,  I  am  told,  was  in  imminent 
danger  during  the  last  famine  at  Naples.  A  Swiss  gentle- 
man assured  me,  that  he  had  heard  them  load  him  with 
abuse  and  invective ;  and  declared  point-blank,  that  if  he 
did  not  procure  them  corn  by  such  a  time,  he  should  no 
longer  be  their  saint.  Flowever,  such  instances  are  but 
rare ;  and  in  general  the  poor  Catholics  are  fully  indemni- 
fied for  these  sudden  fits  of  passion  and  resentment,  for  the 
full  persuasion  of  the  immediate  presence  and  protectioij^ 
of  their  beloved  patrons. 

I  have  observed  with  pleasure,  that  glow  of  gratitude 
and  affection  that  has  animated  their  countenances ;  and 
am  persuaded  that  the  warmth  of  the  enthusiastic  devotion 
they  often  feel  before  their  favourite  saints,  particularly 
their  female  ones,  must  have  something  extremely  de- 
lightful in  it ;  resembling,  perhaps,  the  pure  and  delicate 
sensations  of  the  most  respectful  love.  I  own  I  have 
sometimes  envied  them  in  their  feelings  ;  and  in  my  heart 
cursed  the  pride  of  reason  and  philosophy,  with  all  its 
cool  and  tasteless  triumphs,  that  lulls  into  a  kind  of  stoical 
apathy  these  most  exquisite  sensations  of  the  soul.    Who 

G 


62  u4  Tour  through 

would  not  choose  to  be  deceived,  when  the  deception  rais- 
es in  him  these  delicious  passions,  that  are  so  worthy  of 
the  human  heart,  and  ifor  which,  of  all  others,  it  seems  to 
be  the  most  fitted  ?  But  if  once  you  have  steeled  it  over 
with  the  hard  and  impenetrable  temper  of  philosophy ; 
the  fine-spun  threads  of  weakness  and  affection  that  were 
so  pliable,  and  so  easily  tied,  become  hard  and  inflexible, 
and  for  ever  lose  that  delicate  tone  of  sensibility  that  put 
ihem  into  a  kind  of  unison  and  vibration  with  every  object 
around  us :  for  it  is  certainly  true,  what  has  been  said  of 
one  part  of  our  species,  and  may  almost  with  equal  jus- 
tice be  applied  to  the  v/hole, 

*'  That  to  their  weakness  half  their  charms  we  owe." 

I  remember  Dr.  Tissot  told  me,  he  had  a  patient  that 
actually  died  for  love  of  CJarist ;  and  when  in  the  last  ex- 
tremity, seemed  still  to  enjoy  the  greatest  happiness  j 
calling  upon  him  with  all  the  fondness  of  the  most  enthu- 
siastic passion.  And  from  what  I  have  often  observed 
before  the  statues  of  the  Virgin  and  St.  Agatha,  I  am  per- 
suaded, they  have  many  inamoratos  that  would  willingly 
lay  down  their  lives  for  them. 

Now,  pray  don*t  you  think  too,  that  this  personal  kind 
of  worship  is  much  better  adapted  to  the  capacities  of  the 
vulgar  than  the  more  pure  and  sublime  modes  of  it 
which  would  only  distract  and  confound  their  simple  un- 
derstandings, unaccustomed  to  speculation  ;  and  that  cer- 
tainly require  something  gross  and  material,  some  object 
of  sense  to  fix  their  attention?  This  even  seems  to  have 
been  the  opinion  of  the  sacred  writers,  who  often  repre- 
sent God  under  some  material  form. 

Were  you  to  attempt  to  give  a  country-fellow  an  idea  of 
the  Deity  ;  were  you  to  teJl  him  of  a  being  that  is  imma- 
terial, and  yet  whose  essence  penetrates  all  matter:  who 
has  existed  from  all  eternity,  and  whose  extension  is  equal- 
ly boundless  with  his  duration;  who  fills  and  pervades 
millions  of  worlds,  and  animates  every  object  they  con- 
tain i  and  who,  in  the  sublime  language  of  our  poet, 

"  Though  changed  through  all,  is  yet  in  all  the  same, 
'-*  Great  io  the  earth,  as  in  the  etherial  frwne : 
'••  Warms  ift  the  sun,  refreshes  in  the  breeze, 
«•*  Gdows  ia  the  stars,  and  blosMjms  in  tli^  trees; 


Sicily  arid  Malta,  US 

"  Lives  through  all  life,  extends  through  all  extent ; 

"  Spreads  undivided,  operates  unspent. 

"  To  him  no  liigh,  no  low,  no  great,  no  small , 

"  He  fills,  he  bounds,  connects,  and  equals  all.'* 

Now,  what  do  yoii  imagine  he  would  think  of  such  a  be- 
ing ?  I  am  afraid  his  understanding  would  be  so  bewil- 
dered) that  he  could  not  think  at  all.  But  set  up  before 
iiim  the  figure  of  a  fine  woman,  with  a  beautiful  child  in 
her  arms,  the  most  interesting  object  in  nature;  and  tell 
him  she  can  procure  him  every  thing  he  wants;  he  knows 
perfectly  well  what  he  is  about ;  feels  himself  animated  by 
the  object,  and  prays  to  her  with  all  his  tnight. 

Adieu. — We  are  going  to  be  very  busy  ;  and  are  pre- 
paring every  thing  for  one  of  the  greatest  objects  of  our 
expedition,  the  examination  of  Mount  JLtna.  Indeed,  we 
have  received  but  bad  encouragement ;  and  are  beginning 
to  doubt  of  the  possibility  of  success.  Recupero  tells  us, 
that  the  season  is  not  far  chough  advanced  yet,  by  some 
inoilths;  and  that  he  does  not  think  it  will  be  possible  to 
get  near  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  The  last  winter, 
he  says,  was  so  uncommonly  severe,  that  the  circle  of 
snow  extended  much  nearer  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
than  usual ;  that,  although  the  circle  is  now  greatly  con- 
tracted, it  still  extends  nine  or  ten  miles  below  the  crater. 
— He  advises  us  to  return  this  way  in  the  month  of  Au- 
gust ;  and,  if  possible,  make  ^Etna  the  last  part  of  our  ex- 
pedhion.  If  we  do  not  succeed  to-morrow,  we  shall 
probably  follow  his  advice  ;  but  we  are  determined  to 
make  a  bold  push  for  it.  The  weather  is  the  most  favoura- 
ble that  can  be  imagined :  here  is  a  delightful  evcninir,  and 
by  the  star-light  we  can  observe  the  smoke  rolling  down 
the  side  of  the  mountain  like  a  vast  trrrent.  Recupero 
spys,  this  is  a  sure  indication  of  the  violejice  of  the  cold 
in  these  exalted  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  which  con- 
denses the  vapour,  and  makes  it  fall  down  the  moment  it 
issur.s  out  of  the  crater.  He  advises  us,  by  all  mean?,  to 
provide  plenty  of  liquors,  warm  fur  cloaks,  and  hatchets 
to  cut  wood ;  as  we  shall  probably  be  obliged  to  pass  the 
night  in  the  open  air,  in  a  climate,  he  assures  us,  as  cold 
as  that  of  Greenland.  It  is  very  singular  if  this  be  true  ; 
for  at  present  we  nre  melting  with  heat,  in  thin  suits  of 
taffeta.  Adieu.  You  shall  know  it  all  on  our  return,  if 
we  do  not  share  the  faleof  Empedccles*     Ever  yours. 


6l  d  2our  throMcrk 


LETTER  IX. 

•    Caiania,  May  29 . 

ON  the  27th,  by  day -break,  we  set  off  to  visit  Mount 
^Sina,  that  venerable  and  respectable  fafher  of  moun- 
tains. His  base,  and  his  immense  declivities  are  covered 
with  a  numerous  progeny  of  his  own;  for  every  great 
eruption  produces  a  new  mountain  ;  and  perhaps,  by  the 
number  of  these,  b&tter  than  by  any  other  method,  the 
;iumber  of  eruptions,  and  the  age  of  iEtna  itself,  might  be 
ascertained. 

The  whole  mountain  is  divided  into  three  distinct  re- 
g-ions,  called  La  Regione  Culta  or  PiedmontesCy  the  Fer- 
tile Region ;  La  Regione  Sylvosa  or  JSi'emoroFMy  the  Woody 
Region ;  and  La  Regione  Seserta  or  Sco/ieria,  the  Barren 
JRegioti. 

These  three  are  as  different,  both  in  climate  and=*prQ- 
ductions,  as  the  three  zones  of  the  earth ;  and  perhaps, 
with  equal  propriety,  might  have  been  styled  the  Torrid, 
the  Temperate,  and  the  Frigid  zone.  The  first  region 
surrounds  the  mountain,  and  constitutes  the  most  fertile 
country  in  the  world  on  all  sides  of 'it,  to  the  extent  of 
about  fourteen  or  fifteen  miles,  where  the  woody  region 
begins.  It  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  lava,  which, 
;>fter  a  number  of  ages,  is  at  last  converted  into  the  most 
fertile  of  all  soils. 

At  Nicolosi,  which  is  twelve  miles  up  the  mountain, 
we  found  the  barometer  at  27  :  If :  at  Catania  it  stood  at 
'^9  :  8i  ;  although  the  former  eleve'on  is  not  very  great, 
probably  not  exceeding  3000  feet,  yet  the  climate  was 
totally  changed.  At  Catania,  the  harvest  was  entirely 
over,  and  the  heats  were  insupportable  ;  here  they  were 
moderate,  and  in  many  places  the  corn  is  as  yet  green. 
The  road  for  these  twelve  miles  is  the  worst  I  ever  tra- 
velled ;  entirely  over  old  lavas  and  the  mouths  of  extin- 
guished volcanoes,  now  converted  into  corn-fields,  vine- 
yards, and  orchards. 

The  fruit  of  this  region  is  reckoned  the  finest  in  Sicily, 
particularly  the  figs,  of  which  they  have  a  great  varfety. 
One  of  these,  of  a  very  large  size,  esteemed  superior  in 
flavour  to  all  the  ^'cst.  they  pretend  is  peculiar  to  M\m» 


Sicily  and  Malta.  ^5 

The  lavas,  which  as  I  have  already  said  form  this  region 
of  the  mountain,  take  their  rise  from  an  infinite  nutiiber 
of  the  most  beautiful  little  mountains  on  earth,  which  are 
every  where  scattered  on  the  immense  declivity  of -£tna. 
These  are  all  of  a  regular  figure  ;  either  that  of  a  cone, 
or  a  semisphere ;  and  all  but  a  very  few  are  covered  with 
beautiful  trees,  and  the  richest  verdure  :  every  eruption 
generally  forms  one  of  these  mountains.  As  the  grest 
crater  of  jEtna  itself  is  raised  to  such  an  enormous  height 
above  the  lower  regions  of  the  mountain,  it  is  not  possi- 
ble, that  the  internal  fire,  raging  for  a  vent,  even  round 
the  base,  and  no  doubt  vastly  below  it,  should  be  carried 
to  the  height  of  twelve  or  thirteen  thousand  feet,  for  pro- 
bably so  high  is  the  summit  of  ^Etna.  It  has  therefore 
generally  happened,  that  after  shaking  the  mountain  and 
its  neighbourhood  for  some  time,  it  at  last  bursts  open  its 
side,  and  this  is  called  an  eruption.  At  first  it  only  sends 
forth  a  thick  smoke  and  showers  of  ashes,  that  lay  waste 
the  adjacent  country :  these  are  soon  followed  by  red  hot 
stones,  and  rocks  of  a  great  sizr,  thrown  to  an  immense 
height  in  the  air.  The  fall  of  these  stones,  together  with 
the  quantities  of  ashes  discharged  at  the  same  time,  at 
last  form  the  spherical  and  conical  mountains  I  have  men- 
tioned. Sometimes  this  process  is  finished  in  the  course 
of  a  few  days,  sometimes  it  lasts  for  months,  which  was 
the  case  in  the  great  eruption  1669.  In  that  cas6,  the 
mountain  formed  is  of  a  great  size ;  some  of  them  are 
not  less  than  seven  or  eight  miles  round,  and  upwards  of 
1000  feet  in  perpendicular  height;  others  are  not  more 
than  two  or  three  miles  round,  and  300  or  400  feet  high, 

After  the  new  mountain  is  formed,  the  lava  generally 
bursts  out  from  its  lower  side,  and  beaiing  every  thing 
before  it,  is  for  the  most  part  terminated  by  the  sea. — 
This  is  the  common  progress  of  an  eruption ;  however, 
it  sometimes  happens,  though  rarely,  that  the  lava  bursts 
at  once  from  the  side  of  the  mountain,  without  all  thesQ 
attending  circumstances ;  and  this  is  commonly  the  case 
Twith  the  eruptions  of  Vesuvius,  where  the  elevation  be- 
ing so  much  smaller,  the  melted  matter  is  generally  car- 
ried u{^nto  the  crater  cf  the  mountain,  which  then  exhibits 
the  phenomena  I  have  described;  discharging  showers  of 
stones  and  ashes  from  the  moth  of  the  volcano,  without 
forming  any  new  mountain,  but  only  adding  considerably 
0  2 


QS  J  Tour  through 

to  the  height  of  the  old  one ;  till  at  last  the  lava,  rising 
near  the  summit,  bursts. the  side  of  tlie  crater,  and  the 
eruption  is  declared.  This  has  literally  been  the  case 
with  two  eruptions  I  have  been  an  attentive  witness  of  in 
that  mountain:  but  ^Etna  is  upon  a  much  larger  scale, 
and  one  crater  is  not  enough  to  give  vent  to  such  oceans 
of  liquid  fire. 

Recupcro  assures  me,  he  saw  in  an  eruption  of  that 
mountain,  large  rocks  of  fire,  discharged  to  the  height  of 
some  thousand  feet,  with  a  noise  much  more  terrible  than 
that  of  thunder.  He  measured  from  the  time  of  their 
j^reatest  elevation  till  they  reached  the  ground,  and  found 
they  took  twenty-one  seconds  to  descend ;  which,  accord- 
ing to  the  rule  of  the  spaces,  being  as  the  squares  of  the 
times,  amounts,  I  think,  to  upwards  of  7000  feet, — a  most 
astonishing  height  surely,  and  requiring  a  force  of  pro- 
jection beyond  what  we  have  any  conception  of.  I  mea- 
sured the  height  of  the  explosions  of  Vesuvius  ^y  the 
s'lnie  rule,  and  never  observed  any  of  the  stones  thrown 
from  it  to  take  more  than  nine  seconds  to  descend,  whicli 
shews  they  had  risen  toJittle  more  than  1200  feet.  • 

Our  landlord  at  Nicolosi  gave  us  an  account  of  the  sin- 
gular fate  of  the  beautiful  country  near  Hybla,  at  no  great 
distance  from  hence.  It  was  so  celebrated  for  its  fertility ^^ 
and  particularly  for  its  honey,  that  it  was  called  Mel 
Passi,  till  it  was  overwhelmed  by  the  lava  of  jEina;  and 
having  then  become  totally  barren,  by  a  kind  of  pun,  its 
name  was  changed  to  Mai  Passi.  In  a  second  eruption, 
by  a  shower  of  ashes  from  the  mountain,  it  soon  re-assum- 
ed its  ancient  beauty  and  fertility,  and  for  many  years 
was  called  Bel  Passi.  Last  of  all,  the  unfortunate  aera 
of  1669,  it  was  again  laid  under  an  ocean  of  fire,  and  re- 
duced to  the  most  v/retched  sterility,  since  which  time  it 
is  known  again  by  its  second  appellation  of  Mai  Passi. 
However,  the  lava,  in  its  course  over  this  beautiful  little 
country,  has  left  several  little  islands  or  hillocks,  just  e- 
iiough  to  shew  what  it  formerly  was.  Tiiese  make  a 
singular  appearance,  in  all  the  bloom  of  the  most  luxu- 
riant vegetation,  surrounded  and  rendered  almost  inac- 
cessible by  large  fields  of  black  and  rugged  lava.  The 
mountain  from  whence  the  first  eruption  issued,  that 
covered  Mel  Passi,  is  known  by  the  name  of  Monpelieri : 
X  was  struck^  with  its  beautiful  appearance  at  a  distance, 


Sk'i/ij  and  Malta.  C'' 

and  could  not  resist  the  desire  I  had  of  exarnining  it  n.i- 
nutely,  as  well  as  of  observing  the  efftcts  of  ihe  two  eruji 
lions  that  overwhelmed  this  celebrated  country. 

Monpelieri  is  rather  of  a  spherical  than  a  conical  slic^pe, 
and  does  not  rise  in  perpendicular  height  tbove  three 
hundred  feet,  but  it  is  so  pcrtectly  regulsr  on  every  side, 
and  so  richly  overspread  with  fruits  and  flowers,  that  I 
could  not  leave  so  heavenly  a  spot  wiihoui  the  greatest 
regret.  Its  cup  or  crater  is  large  in  propurtitn  to  the 
mountain,  and  is  as  exactly  hollowed  out  as  the  best  made 
bowl.  I  walked  quite  round  its  outward  ec'ge,  and  think 
the  circumference  must  be  somewhat  more  than  a  mile. 

This  mountain  w^as  formed  by  the  first  eruption  that 
destroyed  the  country  of  ISIel  Passi,  and  is  of  a  very  old 
date.  It  buried  a  great  number  of  villages  and  country- 
houses;  and  particularly  two  noble  churches,  which  are 
more  regretted  than  all  the  rest,  on  account  of  three  sta- 
tues, reckoned  at  that  time  the  most  perfect  in  the  island. 
They  have  attempted,  but  in  vair,  to  recover  them  ;  as 
the  spot  where  the  churches  stood  could  never  be  justly 
ascertained.  Indeed  it  is  impossible  it  should ;  for 
these  churches  were  built  of  lava,  which  it  is  well  known 
is  immediately  melted,  when  it  comes  into  contact  wiih 
a  torrent  of  new  erupi»'d  matter :  and  Massa  says,  that  in 
some  eruptions  of  ^.tna,  the  lava  has  poured  down  with 
such  a  sudden  impetuosity,  that  in  the  course  of  a  few 
hours,  churches,  palaces  and  villages,  have  been  entirely 
melted  down,  and  the  whole  run  off  in  fusion,  with.cut 
leaving  the  least  mark  of  their  former  existence.  But  if 
the  lava  has  hi\d  any  considerable  lime  to  cool,  this  singu- 
lar  effect  never  happens. 

The  great  eruption  of  1669,  after  shaking  the  whole 
country  around  for  four  months,  and  forming  a  very  large 
mountain  of  stones  and  ashes,  burst  cut  about  hulf  a  mile 
above  Monpelieri,  and  descending  like  a  torrent,  bore  di- 
rectly against  the  middle  of  the  mountain,  and  (they  pre- 
tend) perforated  it  from  side  to  side:  ihis,  however,  I 
doubt,  as  it  must  have  broken  the  legular  form  of  the 
mountain,  which  is  not  the  case.  But  certain  it  is,  that 
it  pierced  to  a  great  depth.  The  lava  then  dividtd  into 
two  branches ;  and  surrounding  this  mountiin,  joined 
again  on  its  south  side  ;  and  laying  waste  tlic  whcle  coun- 
try betwixt  that  and  Catania,  scaled  the  walls  of  ihat  city^- 


6S  A  Tour  ihroiio-k 


'£D' 


and  poured  its  flaming  torrent  into  the  ocean.  In  its  way, 
it  is  said  to  have  destroyed  the  possessions  of  near  30,000 
people,  and  reduced  them  to  beggary.  It  formed  several 
hills  where  there  were  formerly  valleys,  and  filled  up  a 
large  lake,  of  which  there  is  not  now  the  least  vestige  to 
be  seen. 

As  the  events  of  this  eruption  are  better  known  than 
6ny  other,  they  tell  a  great  many  singular  stories  of  it : 
one  of  which,  however  incredible  it  may  appear,  is  well 
ascertained.  A  vineyard,  belonging  to  a  convent  of  Je- 
suits) lay  directly  on  its  way.^  This  vineyard  was  formed 
on  an  ancient  lava,  probably  a  thin  one,  with  a  number  of 
caverns  and  crevices  under  it.  The  liquid  lava  entering 
into  these  caverns,  soon  filled  them  up,  and  by  degrees 
bore  up  the  vineyard ;  and  the  Jesuits,  who  every  moment 
expected  to  see  it  buried,  beheld  with  amazement  the 
whole  field  begin  to  move  off.  It  was  carried  on  the  sur- 
ftice  of  the  lava  to  a  considerable  distance ;  and  though 
the  greatest  part  was  destroyed,  yet  some  of  it  remains  to 
this  day. 

We  went  to  examine  the  mouth  from  whence  the  dread- 
ful torrent  issued,  and  were  surprised  to  find  it  only  a 
small  hole,  of  about  three  or  four  yards  in  diameter.  The 
mountain  from  whence  it  sprung,  I  think,  is  little  less 
than  the  conical  part  of  Vesuvius. 

There  is  a  vast  cavern  on  the  opposite  side  of  it,  where 
people  go  to  shoot  wild  pigeons,  which  breed  there  in 
great  abundance.  The  innermost  parts  of  this  cavern  are 
so  very  dismal  and  gloomy,  that  our  landlord  told  us  some 
people  had  lost  their  senses  from  having  advanced  too  far, 
imagining  they  saw  devils  and  the  spirits  of  the  damned ; 
for  it  is  still  very  generally  belifcved  here,  that  ^tna  is 
the  mouth  of  hell. 

We  found  a  degree  of  wildness  and  ferocity  in  the  in- 
habitants of  this  mountain,  that  I  have  not  observed  any 
where  else  It  put  me  in  mind  of  an  observation  the  Pa- 
dre della  Torre  (the  historiographer  of  Mount  Vesuvius) 
told  me  he  had  often  made  in  the  confines  of  Naples ;  that 
in  the  places  where  the  air  is  most  impregnated  with  sul- 
phur and  hot  exhalations,  the  people  were  always  most 
wicked  and  vicious.  Whatever  truth  there  may  be  in  the 
observation,  the  people  about  Nicolosi  at  least  seem  to 
confirm  it.    The  whole  village  flocked  round  us,  and  the 


Sicily  and  Malta,  0J9 

women  in  particular  abused  us  exceedingly  ;  the  cause 
of  which  we  at  last  found  was,  that  F  's  blooming 
complexion  and  white  skin  had  made  them  take  him  for 
one  of  their  own  sex.  They  made  a  great  clamour,  and 
it  was  with  difficulty  we  could  appease  them.  The  per- 
son whom  Recupero  had  appointed  to  accompany  us, 
known  by  the  name,  of  the  Cyclops,  (the  man  in  the  island 
that  is  best  acquainted  with  Mount  jEina),  was  ordered 
by  them  not  to  go  with  us ;  and  if  we  had  not  at  last  ob- 
tained their  consent  by  soothing  and  flattery,  the  best 
method  with  women>  he  durst  not  have  disobeyed  them. 
At  first  we  had  been  obliged  to  shut  the  gale  of  the  court, 
they  were  so  very  noisy  and  tumuliuous ;  but  when  our 
.landlord,  (a  priest),  for  whom  we  had  letters  from  Cata- 
nia, assured  them  that  we  were  Cliristians,  and  came  with 
no  bad  intentions,  they  became  more  moderate,  and  wc 
ventured  out  amongst  them.  This  confidence  scon  ac- 
quired theirs;  and  in  a  short  time  we  became  good  friends, 
and  had  a  great  deal  of  conversation. 

It  was  with  much  difficulty  I  could  persuade  them  that 
we  were  not  come  to  search  for  hidden  treasures,  a  great 
quantity  of  which  they  believe  is  to  be  found  in  Montpe- 
lieri;  and  when  I  went  to  that  mountain  they  were  then 
fully  convinced  that  this  was  our  intention.  Two  of  the 
\  men  followed  me,  and  kept  a  close  eye  on  every  step  that 
Ftook :  and  when  I  lifted  any  bit  of  lava  or  pumice^  they 
came  running  up,  thinking  it  was  something  very  preci- 
ous ;  but  when  they  observed  they  wiere  only  bits  of  sione, 
and  that  I  put  them  into  my  pocket,  they  laughed  hear- 
tily, talking  to  one  another  in  their  mountain  jargon, 
which  is  unintelligible  even  to  Italians.  However,  as 
most  of  them  speak  Italian  so  as  to  be  understood,  they 
asked  me  what  I  v/as  going  to  make  of  these  bits  of  stone? 
I  told  them  they  weVe  of  a  great  value  in  our  country  ;  that 
the  people  there  had  a  way  of  making  gold  of  them :  at 
this  they  both  seemed  surprised,  and  spoke  again  in  their 
tongue.  However,  I  found  they  did  not  believe  me  ;  one 
of  them  told  me,  if  that  had  been  true,  I  certainly  would 
not  have  been  so  ready  in  telling  it ;  but,  said  he,  if  it  is 
so,  we  will  serve  you  for  ever,  if  you  will  teach  us  that 
art;  for  then  we  shall  be  the  richest  people  on  earth.  I 
assured  them  that  I  had  not  yet  learned  it  myself,  and 
Cliat  it  was  a  secret  known  only  to  a  very  fev/.     They 


70  A  Tour  thromh 


■i> 


were  likewise  a  good  deal  surprised  to  see  me  pull  out  oi 
my  pocket  a  magnetical  needle  and  a  small  electrometer, 
which  I  had  prepared  at  Catania  to  examine  the  electrical 
6tate  of  the  air ;  and  I  was  afraid  they  should  have  taken 
me  for  a  conjurer,  (which  you  know  already  happened 
amongst  the  Appenines,)  but  luckily  that  idea  did  not 
strike  them. 

On  our  way  back  to  Nicolosi  we  were  joined  by  three 
or  four  more,  with  their  wives.  I  began  to  be  a  little  afraid 
of  myself,  lest  they  should  insist  on  knowing  the  secret. 
However,  I  took  out  my  bits  of  lava,  and  told  them  they 
were  at  their  service,  if  they  had  any  occasion  for  them. 
But  they  refused  them,  saying,  they  wished  to  the  Virgin 
and  St,  Agatha  that  I  could  take  away  the  whole  of;  as  it 
had  ruined  the  finest  country  in  all  Sicily. 

One  fellow,  who  assumed  an  air  of  superior  wisdom 
and  dignity  to  the  rest,  made  them  form  a  circle  round 
him,  and  began  to  interrogate  me  with  great  gravity  and 
composure.  It  was  with  difficulty  I  could  keep  my  coun- 
tenance ;  but  as  I  was  alone  with  them,  at  some  distance 
from  the  village,  I  was  afraid  of  offending  them.  He  de- 
sired me  to  answer  him  with  truth  and  precision,  what 
were  the  real  motives  of  our  coming  so  fatiguing  and 
disagreeable  a  journey  ?  I  told  him,  on  my  word,  that  we 
had  no  other  motive  but  curiosity  to  examine  Mount 
iEtna.  On  which,  laughing  to  one  another  with  great 
contempt,  Un  bel  ragione  questo^  non  e  vero,  said  they> 
(a  very  pretty  reason  truly.)  The  old  fellow  then  asked 
me  what  country  we  were  of.  I  told  him  we  were  Inglese. 
£  dove  ?  loro  fiaese^  said  he  ;  whereabouts  does  their 
country  lie  ?  I  told  him  it  was  a  great  way  off,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  world.  Da  vero^  said  the  fellow,  e  crs- 
dono  in  Chiisto  quelli  Inglese ? — I  told  him,  (laughing) 
that  they  did.  Ah,  said  he,  shaking  his  head,  mifiare 
chenon  credono  tropfio. — One  of  the  company  then  observ- 
ed, that  he  remembered  several  of  these  Inglese,  that  at 
different  times  had  paid  visits  to  Mount  ^tn?,  and  that 
they  never  could  find  out  their  motive  ;  but  that  he  recol- 
lected very  well  to  have  heard  many  of  their  old  people 
say,  that  the  Inglese  h=id  a  queen  that  had  burnt  in  the 
mountain  for  many  years  past ;  and  that  they  supposed 
these  visits  were  made  from  some  devotion  or  respect  to 
her  memory.     I  assured  them  that  the  logless  had  but 


Sicily  aiid  Malta.  71 

too  little  respect  for  their  queens  when  they  were  alive, 
but  that  they  never  troubled  themselves  about  them  after 
they  were  dead :  however,  as  all  the  ethers  confirmed 
this  testimony,  I  thought  it  was  safest  to  say  little  against 
it ;  but  I  was  extremely  curious  to  know  who  this  queen 
might  be.  They  alledged  thut  I  knew  much  better  than 
they  ;  but  added  that  her  name  was  Anna. 

I  could  not  conceive  what  Queen  Anne  had  done  to 
bring  her  there  ;  and  was  puzzling  myself  to  find  it  out, 
when  one  of  them  soon  cleared  up  the  matter ;  he  told 
me  she  was  wife  to  a  king  that  had  been  a  Christian,  and 
that  she  had  made  him  an  heretic,  and  was  in  consequence 
condemned  to  burn  for  ever  in  Mount  iEtna.  In  short,  I 
found  it  was  no  other  than  poor  Anne  Boleyn.  As  soon 
as  I  mentioned  the  name.  Si  signer^  said  the  fellow,  Vistes- 
£0, 1'istessa,  la  conosce  ineglio  die  net.  1  asked  if  her  hus- 
band was  there  too,  for  that  he  deserved  it  much  better 
than  she  ;  sicuro,  said  he,  and  all  his  heretic  subjects  too ; 
and  if  you  are  of  that  number,  you  need  not  be  in  such  a 
hurry  to  get  thither,  you  will  be  sure  of  it  at  last.  I 
thanked  him,  and  went  to  join  our  company,  not  a  little 
amused  with  the  conversation. 

We  soon  after  left  Nicolosi,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half's 
travelliBg,  over  barren  ashes  and  lava,  we  arrived  on  the 
confines  of  the  Regione  Sylvosa,  or  the  Temperate  Zone. 
As  soon  as  we  entered  those  delightful  forests,  we  seemed 
to  have  got  into  another  world.  The  air,  which  before 
was  sultry  and  hot,  was  now  cool  and  refreshing;  and  ev- 
ery breeze  was  loaded  with  a  thousand  perfumes,  the  whole 
ground  being  covered  over  with  the  lichest  aromatic 
plants.  Many  parts  of  this  region  are  surely  the  most 
heavenly  spots  upon  earth  ;  ai.d  if  iE^na  resen:bles  hell 
within,  it  way  with  equal  justice  be  said  to  resemble  pa- 
radise without. 

It  is  indeed  a  curious  consideration,  that  this  mountain 
should  re-unite  every  beauty  and  every  horror ;  and,  in 
short,  all  the  most  opposite  and  dissimilar  objects  in  na- 
ture. Here  you  observe  a  gulf,  that  tormcrly  threw  out 
torrents  of  fire,  now  covered  with  the  most  luxuriant  vege- 
tation ;  and  from  an  object  of  ten  or,  become  one  of  delight. 
Here  you  gather  the  most  delicious  fruit,  rising  from 
what  was  but  lately  a  black  and  barren  rock.  Here  the 
ground  15  covered  with  every  flower ;    and  v/e  wander 


7^  A  Tour  through 

over  these  beauties,  and  eonteraplate  this  wilderriess  6t 
sweets,  without  considering  that  hell,  with  all  its  terrors, 
is  immediately  under  our  feet;  and  that  but  a  few  yards 
separates  us  from  lakes  of  liquid  fire  and  brimstone. 

But*  our  astonishment  still  increases,  on  casting  our 
eyes  on  the  higher  regions  of  the  mountain.  There  we 
beheld  in  perpetual  union  the  two  elements  that  are  at 
perpetual  war;  an  immense  gulf  of  fire,  forever  existing 
in  the  midst  of  snows  which  it  has  not  power  to  melt ;  and 
immense  fields  of  snow  and  ice  for  ever  surrounding  this 
gulf  of  fire,  which  they  have  not  power  to  extinguish. 

The  woody  region  of  ^Etna  ascends  for  about  eight  or 
nine  miles,  and  forms  a  zone  or  girdle  of  the  brightest 
green  all  around  the  mountain.  This  night  we  passed 
through  little  more  than  the  half  of  it ;  arriving  some 
time  before  sun  set  at  our  lodgings,  which  was  no  other 
than  a  large  cave,  formed  by  one  of  the  most  ancient  and 
venerable  lavas.  It  is  called  La  Sficlonca  del  Cafiriolcj 
or  the  goat*s  cavern,  because  frequented  by  those  animals, 
who  take  refuge  there  in  bad  weather. 

Here  we  were  delighted  with  the  contemplation  of 
many  grave  and  beautiful  objects;  the  prospect  on  all 
bides  is  immense  :  and  we  already  seem  to  be  lifted  from 
the  earth,  and  to  have  got  into  a  new  world. 

Our  cavern  is  surrounded  by  the  stately  and  "majestic 
oaks;  of  the  dry  leaves  of  which,  we  made  very  com- 
fortable beds ;  and  with  our  hatchets,  which  we  had 
brought  on  purpose,  we  had  cut  down  great  branches, 
^nd,  in  a  short  time,  had  a  fire  large  enough  to  roast  an 
ox.  I  observed  my  thermometer,  and  found,  from  7 1  at 
Nicolosi,  it  had  now  fallen  below  60.  The  barometer 
stood  at  24:  2.  In  one  end  of  our  cave  we  still  found  a 
great  quantity  of  snow,  which  seemed  to  be  sent  there  oil 
purpose  for  us,  as  there  was  no  water  to  be  found.  With 
tins  we  filled  our  tea-kettle,  as  tea  and  bread  and  butter 
was  the  only  supper  we  had  provided  ;  and  probably  the 
best  one  to  prevent  us  from  being  overcome  by  sleep  or 
fatigue. 

Not  a  great  way  from  this  cavern,  are  two  of  the  most 
beautiful  mountains  of  all  that  number  that  spring  from 
j£tna.  I  mounted  one  of  our  best  mules,  and  with  a  good 
deal  of  difficultv  arrived  at  the  summit  of  the  highest  of 
them,  just  a  little  before  sun-set.    The  prospect  of  Sicily, 


Sicily  and  Malta.  73 

■with  the  surrounding  sea  and  all  its  islands,  was  wonderfully 
noble.  The  whole  course  of  the  river  Semetus,  the  ru- 
ins of  Hybla,  and  several  other  ancient  towns;  the  rich 
corn-fields  and  vineyards  on  the  lov/er  region  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  the  amazing  number  of  beautiful  mountains  be- 
low, made  a  delightful  scene.  The  hollow  craters  of  these 
two  mountains  are  each  of  them  considerably  larger  than 
that  of  Vesuvius.  They  are  now  filled  with  stately  oaks, 
and  covered  to  a  great  depth  with  the  richest  soil.  I  ob- 
served that  this  region  of  iEtna,  like  the  former,  is  com- 
posed of  lava  ;  but  this  is  now  covered  so  deep  with  earth, 
that  it  is  no  where  to  be  seen,  but  in  the  beds  of  the  tor- 
rents. In  many  of  these  it  is  worn  down  by  the  water  to 
the  depth  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  and  in  one  of  them  still 
considerably  more. — What  an  idea  does  this  give  of  the 
amazing  antiquity  of  the  eruptions  of  this  mountain  ? 

As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  we  retired  to  our  cave,  and  took 
possession  of  our  bed  of  leaves.  Our  rest,  however,  was 
somewhat  disturbed  by  the  noif^e  of  a  mountain  that  lay  a 
good  way  oif  on  our  right.  It  discharged  quantities  of 
smoke,  and  made  several  explosions  like  heavy  cannon  at 
a  distance  ;  but  what  is  singular,  we  could  observe  no  ap- 
pearance of  fire— 'This  mountain  was  formed  by  an  erup- 
tion in  1766,  now  upwards  of  four  years  ago ;  the  fire  of 
which  is  not  yet  extinguished,  neither  is  the  lava  by  any 
means  cold.  This  lava  spent  its  fury  on  a  beautiful  forest, 
which  is  laid  waste  to  the  extent  of  a  good  many  miles. 
In  many  places  it  has  run  into  guUeys  of  a  great  depth, 
which  it  has  filled  up  to  the  height,  we  are  told,  of  two 
hundred  feet.  It  is  in  these  places  that  it  retains  the 
greatest  heat.  On  our  road  to-day,  wc  scrambled  up  this 
lava,  and  went  a  considerable  way  over  its  surface,  which 
appeared  perfectly  cold  ;  but  it  is  certain,  that  in  many 
places  it  still  emits  volumes  of  smoke,  particularly  after 
rain  ;  and  the  people  say,  what  I  can  readily  believe,  that 
this  will  continue  to  be  the  case  for  some  years,  where 
the  lava  is  thickest.  A  solid  body  of  fire  some  hundreds 
of  feet  thick,  and  of  so  great  an  extent,  must  certainly  re- 
tain its  heat  for  many  years.  The  surface,  indeed,  soon 
becomes  black  and  hard,  apd  incloses  the  liquid  fire  with- 
in, in  a  kind  of  solid  box,  excluding  all  impressions  from 
the  external  air  or  from  the  weather.  Thus  I  have  seen, 
many  months  jiftc^  eruptions  of  Mount  Vesuvius,  a  bed 
H 


74  A  Tour  through 

of  lava,  though  only  of  a  few  feet  thick,  has  continued 
red-hot  in  the  centre  long  after  the  surface  was  cold  ;  and 
a  stick  thrust  into  its  crevices  instantly  look  fire,  although 
there  was  no  perceptible  heat  without. 

Massa,  a  Sicilian  author  of  credit,  says  he  was  at  Cata- 
nia eight  years  after  the  great  erupition  in  1669,  and  that 
he  still  found  the  lava  in  many  places  was  not  cold:  but  there 
is  ai>  easy  method  of  calculating  the  time  that  bodies  take 
to  cool : — Sir  Isaac  Newton,  I  think,  in  his  account  of  the 
comet  of  1680,  supposes  the  times  to  be  as  the  squares 
of  their  diameters  ;  and  finding  that  a  solid  ball  of  metal 
of  two  inches,  made  red-hot,  required  upv/ards  of  an  hour 
to  become  perfectly  cold,  made  the  calculation  from  that 
to  a  body  of  the  diameter  of  the  earth,  and  found  it  would 
require  upwards  of  twenty  thousand  years.  If  this  rule 
be  just,  you  may  easily  compute  the  time  that  the  lava 
will  take  to  become  thoroughly  cold;  and  that  you  may 
have  time  to  do  so,  I  shall  here  break  off  my  letter,  which 
I  am  obliged  to  write  in  bed,  in  a  very  aukward  and  dis- 
agreeable posture  ;  the  cause  of  which  shall  be  explained 
to  you  in  my  next.     Adieu.     Ever  yours. 


LETTER  X. 

Catania,  May  29.  at  ni^ht. 

AFTER  getting  a  comfortable  nap  on  our  bed  of  leaves 
in  the  Spelonca  del  Capriole,  we  awoke  about  eleven 
o'clock  ;  and  melting  down  a  sufficient  quantity  of  snow, 
we  boiled  our  tea-kettle,  and  made  a  hearty  meal  to  pre- 
pare us  for  the  remaining  part  of  our  expedition.  We 
were  nine  in  number  ;  for  we  had  our  three  servants,  the 
Cyclops  (our  conductor)  and  two  men  to  take  care  of  our 
mules.  The  Cyclops  now  began  to  display  his  great 
knowledge  of  the  mountain,  and  we  followed  him  with 
implicit  confidence.  He  conducted  us  over  "Antres 
vast,  and  Deserts  wild,"  where  scarce  human  foot  had 
ever  trod.  Sometimes  through  gloomy  forests,  which  by 
day-light  were  delightful,  but  now,  from  the  universal 
darkness,  the  rusllittg  of  the  trees ;  the  heavy  dull  bel- 
lowing of  the  mountain,  the  vast  expanse  of  ocean  stretch- 
ed at  an  immense  distance  below  us,  inspired  a  kind  of 


Sicily  and  Malta.  75 

awful  horror.  Sometimes  we  found  ourselves  ascending 
great  rocks  of  lava,  where,  if  our  mules  should  make  but 
a  false  step,  we  might  be  thrown  headlong  over  the  preci- 
pice. However,  by  the  assistance  of  the  Cyclops,  we 
overcame  all  these  difficulties  ;  and  he  managed  matters 
so  well,  that  in  the  space  of  two  hours  we  found  we  had 
got  above  the  regions  of  vegetation  ;  and  had  left  the  fo- 
rests of  iEtna  far  behind.  These  appeared  now  like  a  dark 
and  gloomy  gulf  below  us,  that  surrounded  the  mountain. 

The  prospect  before  us  was  of  a  very  different  nature  ; 
we  beheld  an  expanse  of  snow  and  ice  that  alarmed  us  ex- 
ceedingly, and  almost  staggered  our  resolution.  In  the 
centre  of  this,  but  still  at  a  great  distance,  we  descried  the 
high  summit  of  the  mountain,  rearing  its  tremendous 
head,  and  vomiting  out  torrents  of  smoke.  It  indeed  ap- 
peared altogether  inaccessible,  from  the  vast  extent  of  the 
fields  of  snow  and  ice  that  surrounded  it.  Our  diffidence 
was  still  increased  by  the  sentiments  of  the  Cyclops.  He 
told  us,  it  often  happened,  that  the  surface  of  the  moun- 
tain being  hot  below  melted  the  snow  in  particular  spots, 
and  formed  pools  of  water,  where  it  was  impossible  to 
foresee  our  danger;  that  it  likewise  happened  that  the 
surface  of  the  water,  as  well  as  the  snow,  was  sometimes 
covered  with  black  ashes,  that  rendered  it  exceedingly 
deceitful;  that  however,  if  we  thought  proper,  he  should 
lead  us  on  with  as  much  caution  as  possible.  According- 
ly, after  holding  a  council  of  war,  which  you  know  people 
generally  do  when  they  are  much  afraid,  we  detached  our 
cavalry  to  the  forest  below,  and  prepared  to  climb  tfae 
snows.  The  Cyclops,  after  taking  a  great  draught  of  bran- 
dy, desired  us  to  be  of  good  cheer  ;  that  we  had  plenty  of 
time,  and  might  take  as  many  rests  as  we  pleased  ;  that 
the  snow  could  be  little  more  than  seven  miles,  and  that 
we  should  certainly  be  able  to  pass  it  before  sun  rise. — 
Accordingly  taking  each  of  us  a  dram  of  liquor,  which 
soon  removed  every  objection,  we  began  our  march. 

The  ascent  for  some  time  was  not  steep  :  and  as  the 
surface  of  the  snow  sunk  |  little,  we  had  tolerable  good 
footing  ;  but  as  it  soon  began  to  grow  steeper,  we  found 
orur  labour  greatly  increased  :  however,  we  determined  to 
persevere,  calling  to  mind  in  the  midst  of  our  labour,  that 
the  emperor  Adrian,  and  the  philosopher  Plato  had  un- 
dergone the  same  ;  and  from  the  same  motive  too,  to  see 


76  J_  Tour  through 

the  rising  sun  from  the  top  of  -Stna.  After  incredible 
labour  and  fatigue,  but  at  the  same  time  mixed  with  a 
great  deal  of  pleasure,  we  arrived  before  dawn  at  the  ru- 
ins of  an  ancient  structure,  called  //  Torre  del  Filosofoy 
supposed  to  have  been  built  by  the  philosopher  Empedo- 
cles,  who  took  up  his  habitation  here,  the  better  to  study 
the  nature  of  Mount  ^tna.  By  others  it  is  supposed  to 
be  the  ruins  of  a  temple  of  Vulcan,  whose  shop,  ail  the 
world  knov/s  (where  he  used  to  make  excellent  thunder- 
bolts and  celestial  armour,  as  well  as  nots  to  catch  his  wife 
when  she  went  astray)  was  ever  kept  ia  Mount  jEtna. 
Here  we  rested  ourselves  for  some  time, and  made  a  fresh 
application  to  our  liquor  bottle,  which  I  am  persuaded, 
both  Vulcan  and  Empedocles,  had  they  been  here,  would 
have  greatly  approved  of  after  such  a  march. 

I  found  the  mercury  had  fallen  to  26:  6.  We  had  now 
to  pay  our  adorations  in  a  silent  contemplation  of  the  sub- 
lime objects  of  nature.  The  sky  was  clear,  and  the  im- 
mense vault  of  the  heavens  appeared  in  awful  majesty 
and  splendour.  We  found  ourselves  more  struck  with 
ventLation  than  below,  and  first  were  at  a  loss  to  know 
the  cause  ;  till  we  observed  with  astonishment  the  num- 
ber of  stars  seemed  to  be  infinitely  increased  ;  and  the 
light  of  each  of  them  appeared  brighter  than  usual.  The 
whiteness  of  the  milky  way  was  like  a  pure  flame  that 
shot  across  the  heavens  ;  and  with  the  naked  eye  we  could 
observe  clusters  of  stars  that  were  invisible  in  the  regions 
below.  We  did  not  at  first  attend  to  the  cause,  nor  recol- 
lect that  we  had  now  passed  through  ten  or  twelve  thous- 
and feet  of  gross  vapour,  that  blunts  and  confuses  every 
ray,  before  it  reaches  the  surface  of  the  earth.  We  were 
amazed  at  the  distinctness  of  vision,  and  exclaimed  togeth- 
er, what  a  glorious  situation  for  an  observatory  !  Had  Em- 
pedocles  had  the  eyes  of  Gallileo,  what  discoveries  must 
he  not  have  made  !  We  regretted  that  Jupiter  was  not 
visible,  as  I  am  persuaded  we  might  have  discovered 
some  of  his  satellites  with  the  naked  eye,  or  at  least  with 
a  small  glass  which  I  had  in  my  pocket.  We  observed  a 
light  a  great  v/ay  below  us  on  the  mountain,  which  seem- 
ed to  move  among  the  forest ;  but  whether  an  Ignis  Fa- 
tuus,  or  what  it  was,  I  shall  not  pretend  to  say.  We  like- 
wise took  notice  of  several  of  those  meteors,  called  Fall- 
ing Stars,  which  still  appeared  to  be  as  much  elevated 


Sicily  and  Malta,  _  77 

above  us,  as  when  we  see  from  the  plain  ;  so  that,  in  all 
probability,  those  bodies  move  in  regions  much  beyond 
the  bounds  that  some  philosophers  have  assigned  to  our 
atmosphere. 

After  contemplating  these  objects  for  some  time,  we 
set  off,  and  soon  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  great  crater  of 
the  mountain.  This  is  of  an  exact  conical  figure,  and 
rises  equally  on  all  sides.  It  is  composed  solely  of  ashes 
and  other  burnt  materials,  discharged  from  the  mouth  of 
the  volcano,  which  is  in  its  centre.  This  conical  moun- 
tain is  of  a  very  great  size ;  its  circumference  cannot  be 
less  than,  ten  miles.  Here  we  took  a  second  rest,  as  the 
greatest  part  of  our  fatigue  still  remained.  The  mercu- 
ry had  fallen  to  20 :  4|.~We  found  this  mountain  exces- 
sively steep  ;  and  although  it  had  appeared  blacky  yet  it 
was  likewise  covered  with  snow,  but  the  surface  (luckily 
for  us)  was  spread  over  with  a  pretty  thick  layer  of  ashes, 
thrown  out  from  the  crater.  Had  it  not  been  for  this,  we 
never  should  have  been  -able  to  get  to  the  top ;  as  the 
snow  was  every  where  frozen  hard  and  solid,  from  the 
piercing  cold  of  the  air. 

In  about  an  hour's  climbing,  w^s  arrived  at  a  place 
where  there  was  no  snow  ;  and  whe^e  a  warm  and  com- 
fortable vapour  issued  from  the  mountain,  which  induced 
lis  to  make  another  halt.  Here  I  found  the  mercury  at 
19  :  6^.  The  thermometsr  was  fallen  three  degrees  be- 
low the  point  of  congelation ;  and  before  we  left  the  sum- 
mit of  iEtna,  it  fell  two  degrees  more,  viz.  to  27.  From 
this  spot  it  was  only  about  three  hundred  yards  to  the 
highest  summit  of  the  mountain,  where  we  arrived  in  full 
lime  to  see  the  most  wonderful  and  most  sublime  sight  in 
nature. 

But  here  description  must  ever  fall  short ;  for  no  ima- 
gination has  dared  to  form  an  idea  of  so  glorious  and  so 
magnificent  a  scene.  Neither  is  there  on  the  suriace  of 
this  globe,  any  one  point  that  unites  so  many  awful  and 
sublime  objects— The  immense  elevation  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth,  drawn  as  it  were  to  a  single  point,  with- 
out any  neighbouring  mountain  for  the  senses  and  ima- 
gination to  rest  upon,  and  recover  from  thf  ir  astonishment 
in  their  way  down  to  the  world.  This  poiat  or  pinnaclcj 
raised  on  the  brink  of  a  bottomless  gulf,  as  old  as  the 
world,  often  discharging  rivers  of  fire,  and  throwing  out 
H2- 


78  A  Tour  through 


tj" 


burning  rocks,  with  a  noise  that  shakes  the  whole  island. 
Add  to  ihis,  the  unbounded  extent  of  the  prospect,  con\- 
prchending  the  greatest  diversity  and  the  most  beautiful 
scenery  in  nature ;  with  the  rising  sun,  advancing  in  the 
east,  to  illuniinate  the  wonderous  scene. 

The  whole  atOiOsphere  by  degrees  kindled  up,  and 
shewed  dimly  and  faintly  the  boundless  prospect  around. 
Both  sea  and  land  looked  dark  and  confused,  as  if  only 
emerging  from  their  original  chaos,  and  light  and  dark- 
ness seemed  siill  undivided  ;  till  the  morning  by  degrees 
advancir.c^5  conipleted  the  separation.     The  stars  are  ex- 
tinguished, itnd  the  shades  disappear.    The  forests,  which 
bul  now  seemed  black  and  bottomless  gulfs,  from  whence 
no  ray  was  reflected  to  shew  their  form  or  colours,  appear 
a  new  creation  rising  to  the  sight ;  catching  life  and  beau- 
ty from  every  increasing  beam.    The  scene  still  enlarges, 
and  the  horizon  seems  to  widen  and  expand  itself  on  all 
sides,  till  the  sun,  like  the  great  Creator,  appears  in  the 
east,  and  with  his  plastic  ray  completes  the  mighty  scene. 
All  appears  enchantment ;  and  it  is  with  difficulty  we  can 
believe  we  are  still  on  earth.     The  senses,  unaccustomed 
to  the  sublimity  of  such  a  scene,  are  bewildered  and  con- 
founded ;  and  it  is  not  till  after  some  time,  that  they  are 
capable  of  separating  and  judging  of  the  objects  that  com- 
pose it. — The  body  of  the  sun  is  seen  rising  from  the 
ocean,  immense  tracts  both  of  sea  and  land  intervening  j 
the  islands  of  Lipari,  Panari,  Alicudi,  Strombolo,  and 
Volcano,  with  their  smoking  summits,  appear  under  your 
feet ;  and  you  look  down  on  the  whole  of  Sicily  as  on  a 
map  ;  and  can  trace  every  river  through  all  its  windings, 
from  its  source  to  its  mouth.     The  view  is  absolutely 
boundless  on  every  side ;  nor  is  there  any  one  object, 
within  the  circle  of  vision,  to  interrupt  it ;  so  that  the 
sight  is  every  where  lost  in  the  immensity ;   and  I  am 
persuaded  it  is  only  from  the  imperfection  of  our  organs, 
that  the  coasts  of  Africa,  and  even  of  Greece,  are  not 
discovered,  as  they  are  certainly  above  the  horizon.    The 
circumference  of  the  visible  horizon  on  the  top  of  ^tna 
cannot  be  less  that  two  thousand  miles.     At  Malta,  which 
is  near  two  hundred  miles  distant,  they  perceive  all  the 
eruptions  from  the  second  region  ;  and  that  island  is  often 
discovered  from  about  one-half  the  elevation  of  the  moun- 
tain; so  that  at  the  whole  elevatbn,  the  horizon  must 


I 


Sicily  and  Malta.  79 

extend  to  near  double  that  distance,  or  four  hundred 
TnileS)  which  makes  eight  hundred  miles  for  the  diameter 
of  the  circle,  and  two  thousand  four  hundred  for  ihe  cir- 
cumference. But  this  is  by  much  too  vast  for  our  senses, 
not  intended  to  grasp  so  boundless  a  scene.  I  find,  in- 
deed, by  some  of  the  Sicilian  authors,  panicularly  Massa^ 
that  the  African  coast,  as  well  as  that  of  Naples,  with 
many  of  its  islands,  have  been  discovered  from  the  top  of 
^tna.  Of  this,  however,  we  cannot  boast,  though  we 
can  very  well  believe  it.  Indeed,  if  we  knew  the  height 
of  the  mountain,  it  would  be  easy  to  calculate  the  extent 
of  its  visible  horizon  ;  and  {vice  versa)  if  its  visible  hori- 
zon was  exactly  ascertained,  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to 
calculate  the  height  of  the  mountain. — But  the  most  beau- 
tiful part  of  the  scene  is  certainly  the  mountain  itself  j 
the  island  of  Sicily,  and  the  numerous  islands  lying  round 
it.  All  these,  by  a  kind  of  magic  in  vision,  that  I  am  at 
a  loss  to  account  for,  seem  as  if  they  were  brought  close 
round  the  skirts  of  JEtna ;  the  distances  appearing  re- 
duced to  nothing — Perhaps  this  singular  effect  is  pro- 
duced by  the  rays  of  light  passing  from  a  rarer  medium 
into  a  denser ;  which  (from  a  well  known  law  in  optics) 
to  an  observer  in  the  rare  medium,  appears  to  lift  up 
objects  that  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  dense  one  ;  as  a  piece 
of  money  placed  in  a  bason  appears  lifted  up  as  soon  as 
the  bason  is  filled  with  water. 

The  Regione  Deserta,  or  the  frigid  zone  of  ^.tna,  is  the 
first  object  that  calls  your  attention.  It  is  marked  out  by 
a  circle  of  snow  and  ice,  which  extends  on  all  sides  to  the 
distance  of  about  eight  miles.  In  the  centre  of  ihis  cir- 
cle, the  great  crater  of  the  mountain  rears  its  burning 
head ;  and  the  regions  of  intense  cold  and  of  intense  heat 

seem  for  ever  to  be  united  in  the  same  point On  the 

north  side  of  the  snowy  region,  they  assure  us,  there  are 
several  small  lakes  that  are  never  thawed ;  and  that  in 
many  places,  the  snow,  mixed  with  the  ashes  and  salts  of 
the  mountain,  igaccumulated  to  a  vast  depth  :  and  indeed 
I  suppose  the  quantity  of  the  salts,  contained  in  this 
mountain,  is  one  great  reason  of  the  preservation  of  its 
snows.  The  Regione  Deaerta  is  immediately  succeeded 
by  the  Sylvosa^  or  the  woody  region,  which  forms  a  cir- 
cle or  girdle  of  the  most  beautiful  green,  which  sur- 
rounds the  mountain  on  all  sides,  and  is  certainly  one  of 


80  A  Tour  through 

the  most  delightful  spots  on  earth.  This  presents  a  rift- 
markable  contrast  with  the  desert  region.  It  is  not 
smooth  and  even,  like  the  greatest  part  of  the  latter;  but 
is  finely  variegated  by  an  infinite  number  of  those  beauti- 
ful little  mountains  that  have  been  formed  by  the  different 
eruptions  of  ^tna.  All  these  have  now  acquired  a  won- 
derful degree  of  fertility,  except  a  very  few  that  are  but 
newly  formed ;  that  is,  within  these  five  or  six  hundred 
years  :  for  it  certainly  requires  some  thousands  to  bring 
them  to  their  greatest  degree  of  perfection.  We  looked 
down  into  the  craters  of  these,  and  attempted,  but  in  vain, 
to  number  them. 

The  circumference  of  this  zone  or  great  circle  on 
^tna  is  not  less  than  seventy  or  eighty  miles.  It  is  every 
where  succeeded  by  the  vineyards,  orchards,  and  corn- 
fields that  compose  the  Regione  Culta,  or  the  fertile  re- 
gion. This  last  zone  is  much  broader  than  the  others, 
and  extends  on  all  sides  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain  — 
Its  whole  circumference,  according  to  Recupero,  is  183 
miles.  It  is  likewise  covered  with  a  number  of  little 
conical  and  spherical  mountains,  and  exhibits  a  wonderful 
variety  of  forms  and  colours,  and  makes  a  delightful  con- 
trast with  the  other  tw©  regions.  It  is  bounded  by  the 
sea  to  the  south  and  south-east,  and  on  all  its  other  sides 
by  the  rivers  Semetus  and  Alcantara,  which  run  almost 
round  it.  The  whole  course  of  these  rivers  is  seen  at 
once,  and  all  their  beautiful  windings  through  these  fer- 
tile valleys,  looked  upon  as  the  favourite  possession  of 
Ceres  herself,  and  the  very  scene  of  the  rape  of  her 
daughter  Proserpine. 

Cast  your  eyes  a  little  farther,  and  you  embrace  the 
whole  island,  and  see  all  its  cities,  rivers,  and  mountains, 
delineated  in  the  great  chart  of  Nature :  All  the  adjacent 
islands,  the  whole  coast  of  Italy,  as  far  as  your  eye  can 
reach  ;  for  it  is  no  where  bounded,  but  every  where  lost 
\n  the  space.  On  the  sun's  first  rising,  the  shadow  of 
the  mountain  extends  across  the  whole  island,  and  makes 
a  large  track  visible  evefi  in  the  sea  and  in  the  air.  By 
degrees  this  is  shortened,  and,  in  a  little  lime,  is  confined 
only  to  the  neighbourhood  of  iEtna. 

We  had  now  time  to  examine  a  fourth  region  of  that 
wonderful  mountain,  very  different,  indeed,  from  the 
otbers,  and  productive  of  very  different  sensations ;  but  - 


Sicily  and  Malta,  81 

\yhich  has,  undoubtedly,  given  being  to  all  the  rest;  I 
mean  the  region  of  fire. 

The  present  crater  of  this  immense  volcano  is  a  cir- 
cle of  about  three  miles  and  a  half  in  circumference.  It 
goes  shelving  dovi'n  on  each  side,  and  forms  a  regular 
hollow  like  a  vast  amphitheatre.  From  many  places  of 
this  space,  issue  volumes  of  sulphureous  smoke,  which) 
being  much  heavier  than  the  circumambient  air,  instead 
of  rising  in  it,  as  smoke  generally  does,  immediately  on 
its  getting  out  of  the  crater,  rolls  down  the  side  of  the 
mountain  like  a  torrent,  till  coming  to  that  part  of  the 
atmosphere  of  the  same  specific  gravity  with  itself,  it 
shoots  off  horizontally,  and  forms  a  l^uge  track Jn  the  airj 
according  to  the  dii^ection  of  the  wind,  which,  happily  foB 
us,  carried  it  exactly  to  the  side  opposite  to  that  where 
we  were  placed.  The  crater  is  so  hot,  that  it  is  very  dan- 
gerous, if  not  impossible,  to  go  down  into  it ;  besides,  the 
smoke  is  very  incommodious,  and  in  many  places,  the 
surface  is  so  soft,  there  have  been  instances  of  people 
sinking  down  in  it,  and  paying  for  their  temerity  with 
their  lives.  Near  the  centre  of  the  crater  is  the  great 
mouth  of  the  volcano ;-— that  tremendous  gulf  so  cele- 
brated in  all  ages,  looked  upon  as  the  terror  and  scourge 
both  of  this  and  another  life  ;  and  equally  useful  to  ancient 
poets  or  to  modern  divines,  when  the  rriuse,  or  when  the 
spirit  inspires.  We  beheld  it  with  awe  and  with  horror, 
and  were  not  surprised  that  it  had  been  considered  as  the 
place  of  the  damned.  When  we  reflect  on  the  innmensity 
of  its  depth,  the  vast  cells  and  caverns  whence  so  many 
lavas  have  issued ;  the  force  of  Its  internal  fire,  to  raise 
up  those  lavas  to  so  vast  a  height,  to  support  as  it  were 
in  the  air,  and  even  to  force  it  over  the  very -summit  of 
the  crater,  with  all  the  dreadful  accompaniments;  the 
boiling  of  the  matter,  the  shaking  of  the  mountain,  the 
explosions  of  flaming  rocks,  8cc.  we  must  allow  that  the 
most  enthusiastic  imagination,  in  the  midst  of  all  its  ter- 
rors, hardly  ever  formed  an  idea  of  a  hell  more  dreadful. 
It  was  with  a  mixture  both  of  pleasure  and  pain,  that 
we  quitted  this  awful  scene.  But  the  wind  had  risen  very 
high,  and  clouds  began  to  gather  round  the  mountain— 
In  a  short  time  they  formed  like  another  heaven  below  us, 
and  we  were  in  hopes  of  seeing  a  thunder-storm  under 
our  feet;-^a  scene  that  is  not  uncommon  in  these  exalted 


825  A  Tour  through 

regions,  aild  which  I  have  already  seen  on  the  top  of  the 
high  Alps ;  but  the  clouds  were  soon  dispelled  again  by 
the  force  of  the  wind,  and  we  were  disappointed  in  our 
expectations. 

I  had  often  been  told  of  the  great  effect  produced  by 
discharging  a  gun  on  the  top  of  high  mountains.  I  tried 
It  here,  when^we  were  a  good  deal  surprised  to  find,  that 
instead  of  increasing  the  sound,  it  was  almost  reduced  to 
nothing.  The  report  was  not  equal  to  that  of  a  pocket 
pistol ;  we  compared  it  to  the  stroke  of  a  stick  on  a  door  ; 
and  surely  it  is  consistent  with  reason,  that  the  thinner 
the  air  is,  the  less  its  impression  must  be  on  the  ear;  for 
in  a  vacuum  there  can  be  no  noise,  or  no  impression  can 
be  made;  and  the  nearer  the  approach  to  a  vacuum,  the 
impression  must  always  be  the  smaller.  Where  those 
great  effects  have  been  produced,  it  must  have  been 
amongst  a  number  of  mountains,  where  the  sound  is  re- 
verberated from  one  to  the  other. 

When  we  arrived  at  the  foot  of  the  cone,  we  observed 
some  rocks  of  as  incredible  size,  that  have  been  discharged 
from  the  crater.  The  largest  that  has  been  observed  from 
Vesuvius,  is  a  round  one  of  about  twelve  feet  diameter. 
These  are  much  greater ;  indeed  almost  in  proportion  of 
the  mountains  to  each  other. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  Torre  del  Filosofo,  we  could  not 
help  admiring,  that  the  ruins  of  this  structure  have  re- 
mained uncovered  for  so  many  ages,  so  near  the  top  of 
jEtna,  when  thousands  of  places  at  a  great  distance  from 
it  have  been  repeatedly  buried  by  its  lavas,  in  a  much 
shorter  time, — a  proof  that  few  eruptions  have  risen  so 
high  in  the  mountain 

Empedocles  was  a  native  of  Agrigentum,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  have  died  400  years  before  the  Christian  aera. 
Perhaps  his  vanity  more  than  his  philosophy  led  him  to 
this  elevated  situation ;  nay,  it  is  said  to  have  carried  him 
still  much  farther  : — That  he  might  be  looked  upon  as  a 
god,  and  that  the  people  might  suppose  he  was  taken  up 
to  heaven,  he  is  recorded  to  have  thrown  himself  headlong 
into  the  great  gulf  of  Mount  ^tna,  never  supposing  that 
his  death  could  be  discovered  to  mankind  ;  but  the  trea- 
cherous mountain  threw  out  his  slippers,  which  were  of 
brj^ss,  and  announced  to  the  world  the  fate  of  the  philoso- 
pher, who,  by  his  death,  as  well  as  life,  wanted  only  to 


Sidiy  and  Malta.  83 

impose  upon  ruankind,  and  make  them  believe  that  he 
was  greater  than  they. 

However,  if  there  is  such  a  thing  as  philosophy  on 
earth,  this  surely  ought  to  be  its  seat.  The  prospect  is 
iittle  inferior  to  that  from  the  summit,  and  the  mind  en- 
joys a  df  gree  of  serenity  here,  that  even  few  philosophers, 
I  believe,  could  ever  boast  of  on  tliat  tremendous  point.— 
All  Nature  lies  expanded  below  your  feet,  in  her  gayest 
and  most  luxuriant  dress,  and  you  still  behold  united  un- 
der one  point  of  view,  all  the  seasons  of  the  year,  and  all 
the  Climates  of  the  earth.  The  meditations  are  ever 
elevated  in  proportion  to  the  grandeur  and  sublimity  of 
the  objects  that  surround  us;  and  here,  where  you  have 
all  nature  to  arouse  your  admiration,  what  mind  can  re- 
main inactive  ? 

It  has  likewise  been  observed,  and  from  experience  1 
can  say  with  truth,  that  on  the  tops  of  the  highest  moun- 
tains, where  the  air  is  so  pure  and  refined,  and  where 
there  is  not  that  immense  weight  of  gross  vapours  press- 
ing upon  the  body,  the  mind  acts  with  greater  freedom, 
and  all  the  functions  both  of  soul  and  body  are  performed 
in  a  superior  manner.  It  would  appear,  that  in  propor- 
tion as  we  are  raised  above  the  habitations  of  men,  all 
low  and  vulgar  sentiments  are  left  behind ;  and  that  the 
soul,  in  approaching  the  etherial  regions,  shakes  off  its 
earthly  affections,  and  already  acquires  something  of  their 
celestial  purity — Here,  where  you  stand  under  a  serene 
sky,  and  behold,  with  equal  serenity,  the  tempest  and 
storm  forming  below  your  feet ;  the  lightning,  darling 
from  cloud  to  cloud,  and  the  thunder  rolling  round  the 
mountain,  and  threatening  with  destruction  the  poor 
wretches  below,;  the  mind  considers  the  little  storms  of 
the  human  passions  as  equally  below  her  notice.  Surely 
the  situation  alone  is  enough  to  inspire  philosophy,  and 
Empedocles  had  good  reason  for  choosing  it. 

.But,  alas!  how  vain  are  all  our  reasonings  1  In  the 
very  midst  of  these  meditations,  my  philosophy  was  at 
once  overset,  and  in  a  moment  I  found  myself  relapsed 
into  a  poor  miserable  mortal ;  was  obliged  to  own,  that 
pain  was  the  greatest  of  evils  ;  and  would  have  given  the 
.world  to  have  been  once  more  arrived  at  those  humble 
habitations,  which,  but  a  moment  before,  I  had  looked 
4pwn  upon  with  such  contempt. — In  running  over  the 


^84  d  Tour  throi^h 

ice,  my  leg  folded  under  me,  and  I  received  so  violent  a 
sprain,  that  in  a  few  minutes  it  swelled  to  a  great  degree, 
and  I  found  myself  unable  to  put  my  foot  to  the  ground. 
Every  muscle  and  fibre  was  at  that  time  chilled  and  froze 
bv  the  extreme  cold,  the  thermometer  continuing  still 
below  the  point  of  congelation.  It  was  this  circumstance 
I  suppose,  that  made  the  pain  so  violent ;  for  I  lay  a  con- 
siderable time  on  the  ice  in  great  agony :  however,  in 
these  exalted  regions,  it  was  impossible  to  have  a  horse, 
or  a  carriage  of  any  kind ;  and  your  poor  philosopher  was 
obliged  to  hop  on  one  leg,  with  two  men  supporting  him, 
for  several  miles  over  the  snow;  and  cur  wags  here  allege, 
that  he  left  the  greatest  part  of  his  philosophy  behind  him, 
for  the  use  of  Empidocles'  heirs  and  successors. 

I  was  happy  to  get  to  my  mule,  but  when  I  once  more 
found  myself  on  our  beds  of  leaves  in  the  Spelonca  del 
Capriole,  I  thought  I  was  in  paradise :  So  true  it  is,  that 
a  removal  of  pain  is  the  greatest  of  pleasures.  The  agony 
I  suffered  had  thrown  me  into  a  profuse  sweat  and  fever; 
however,  in  an  instant  I  fell  fast  asleep,  and  in  an  hour 
and  a  half  awaked  in  perfect  health.  We  had  an  excel- 
lent dish  of  tea,  the  most  refreshing  and  agreeable  I  ever 
drank  in  all  my  life. 

We  left  the  summit  of  the  mountain  about  six  o*clock| 
and  it  was  eight  at  night  before  we  reached  Catania.— 
We  observed,  both  with  pleasure  and  pain,  the  change  of 
the  climate  as  we  descended. — From  the  regions  of  the 
most  rigid  winter,  we  soon  arrived  at  those  of  the  most 
delightful  spring.  On  first  entering  the  forests,  the  trees 
were  slill  bare  as  in  December,  not  a  single  leaf  to  be 
seen;  but  after  we  had  descended  a  few  miles,  we  found 
ourselves  in  the  mildest,  and  the  softest  of  climates  :  the 
trees  in  full  verdure,  and  the  fields  covered  with  all  the 
flowers  of  the  summer  ;  but  as  soon  as  we  got  out  of  the 
woods,  and  entered  the  torrid  zone,  we  found  the  heals 
altogether  insupportable,  and  suffered  dreadfully  from 
them  before  we  reached  the  city.  On  the  road  I  saw 
many  mountains,  which  I  intended  to  have  visited,  but 
my  sprain  put  it  out  of  my  power.  One  of  the  most  re- 
markable is  called  the  Monte  Peluse^  the  lava  of  which 
destroyed  the  great  aqueduct  of  Catania  for  eighteen 
miles.  It  has  here  and  there  left  a  few  arches;  but  no- 
thing of  any  consequence. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  85 

Not  far  from  this  mountain  stands  the  Monte  Victoria, 
•nc  of  the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  numerous  family  of 
^tna.  It  is  of  a  pretty  large  size,  and  perfectly  rei^ular, 
and  seems  to  be  in  the  gayest  dress  of  any.  Many  of 
its  trees,  which,  at  a  distance,  we  took  to  be  oianges  and 
citrons,  appeared  to  be  in  full  blow.  It  was  the  lava  of 
this  mountain  that  is  said  to  have  covered  up  the  port  of 
Ulysses,  which  is  now  three  miles  distant  from  the  sea  ; 
but  I  should  suppose  this  eruption  to  have  been  much 
older  than  either  Ulysses  or  Troy. 

On  our  arrival  at  Catania,  we  went  immediately  to  bed, 
being  exceedingly  oppressed  by  the  fatigue  of  our  expe- 
dition; but  still  more  by  the  violent  heat  of  the  day, — a 
day,  in  which,  I  think,  I  have  enjoyed  a  greater  degree  of 
pleasure,  and  suffered  a  greater  degree  of  pain,  than  in 
any  other  day  of  my  life. 

As  my  leg  continues  very  m.uch  swelled,  I  am  still  con- 
fined to  my  room,  and  mostly,  indeed,  to  my  bed,  from 
whence  I  have  written  you  the  greatest  part  of  these  two 
epistles,  the  enormous  length  of  which  I  am  ashamed  of. 
However,  as  I  have  still  omitted  several  articles  that  1  in- 
tended to  take  notice  of,  I  shall  add  a  sequel  to-morrow  ; 
and  so  conclude  my  account  of  Mount  iEtna.  Had  it 
not  been  for  this  abominable  sprain,  that  holds  me  last  by 
the  foot,  you  probably  had  not  got  off  so  easily  ;  but  I  am 
obliged  to  drop  all  further  thoughts  of  cliuibing  moun- 
tains, though  there  are  many  things  I  still  wanted  to  ex- 
apaine.    Adieu.  Ever  yours* 


LETTER  XI. 


Catania^  May  30. 


WE  took  care  to  regulate  two  barometers  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain  ;  one  of  which  was  left  with  the 
Canonico  Recupero,  and  the  other  we  carried  along  with 
Us.  The  former,  our  friend  assures  us,  had  no  sensible 
variation  during  our  absence.  We  both  left  it,  and  found 
it  at  twenty-nine  inches,  eight  lines  and  a  half,  English 
measure.  On  our  arrival  ai  Catania,  the  one  we  carried 
up  with  us  had  risen  exactly  to  the  same  point. 
I 


86  J  Tour  throvgk 

I  had  likewise  a  good  quicksilver  thermometer,  which 
I  borrowed  from  the  Neapolitan  philosopher,  the  Padre 
della  Torre,  who  furnislied  us  with  letters  for  this  place, 
and  would  have  accompanied  us,  could  he  have  obtained 
leave  of  the  king.  It  is  made  by  Adains  at  London,  and 
(as  I  myself  proved)  exactly  graduated  from  the  two 
points  of  freezing  and  boiling  water.  It  is  upon  Fahren- 
heit's scale.  I  shall  mark  the  heights  in  the  different 
regions  of  jEtna,  wiih  the  rules  for  estimating  the  eleva- 
tion of  mountains  by  the  barometer,  which,  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  have  been  hitherto  so  very  ill  ascertained ;  Cassina, 
Bouger,  and  the  others  who  have  written  on  the  subject, 
to  the  reproach  of  science,  differing  so  much  amongst 
themselves,  that  it  is  with  difftculty  we  can  come  near  the 
truth. 

<ffitna  has  often  been  measured,  but  I  believe  never  with 
any  degree  of  accuracy ;  and  it  is  really  a  shame  to  the 
society  established  in  this  place,  called  the  ^tnean  Aca- 
demy, whose  original  institution  was  to  study  the  nature 
and  operations  of  this  wonderful  mountain.  It  was  my 
full  intention  to  have  measured  it  geometrically  ;  but  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  although  this  is  both  the  seat  of  an  aca- 
demy and  university,  yet  there  v/as  no  quadrant  to  be 
had.  Of  all  the  mountains  I  have  ever  seen,  ^Etna  would 
be  the  easiest  to  measure,  and  with  the  greatest  certainty, 
and  perhaps  the  properest  place  on  the  globe  to  establish 
an  exact  rule  of  mensuration  by  the  barometer.  There 
is  a  beach  of  a. vast  extent,  that  begins  exactly  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  and  runs  for  a  great  many  miles  along 
the  coast.  The  sea-mark  of  this  beach  forms  the  n»eri- 
dian  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  Here  you  are  sure 
of  a  perfect  level,  and  make  the  base  of  your  triangle  of 
what  length  you  please.  But  unfortunately  this  mensura- 
tion has  never  been  executed,  at  least  with  a  tolerable 
degree  of  precision. 

Kircher  pretends  to  have  measured  it,  and  to  have 
found  it  4000  French  toises  in  height;  which  is  more 
than  any  of  the  Andes,  or  indeed  than  any  mountain  upon 
earth  The  Italian  mathematicians  are  still  more  absurd. 
Some  of  them  make  it  eij^ht  miles,  some  six.  and  som.e 
four.  Amici,  the  last,  and  I  believe  the  best  who  has 
made  the  attempt,  reduces  it  to  3  niilcs  264  prces;  bu'ji 
even  this  must  be  exceedingly  erroneous;  and  probably 


Sicily  and  Malta.  87 

the  perpendicular  height  of  jEtna  does  not  exceed  12,000 
feet,  or  little  more  than  two  miles.  I  shall  mark  the  dif- 
ferent methods  of  determining  heights  by  the  barometer ; 
and  you  may  choose  which  you  please.  I  believe  the 
allowance  in  all  of  them,  particularly  in  great  elevations, 
"where  the  air  is  so  exceedingly  thin  and  light,  is  much 
too  small.  Mikeli,  whose  mensurations  are  esteemed 
more  exact,  has  ever  found  it  so.  Cassina  allows,  I  think, 
ten  French  toises  of  elevation  for  every  line  of  mercury, 
adding  one  foot  to  each  ten,  two  to  the  second,  three  to 
the  third,  and  so  on :  But  surely  the  weight  of  the  air 
diminishes  in  a  much  greater  proportion. 

Bogiicr  takes  the  difference  of  the  logarithms  of  the 
height  of  the  barometer  in  lines,  (supposing  these  loga- 
rithms to  consist  only  of  five  figures);  from  this  differ- 
ence he  takes  away  a  thirtieth  part,  and  what  remains 
he  supposes  to  be  the  difference  of  elevation.  I  do  not 
recollect  his  reason  for  the  supposition;  but  the  rule 
seems  to  be  still  more  erroneous  than  the  other,  and  has 
been  entirely  laid  aside.  I  am  told,  that  accurate  expe- 
riments have  been  made  at  Geneva,  to  establish  the  men- 
suration v/iih  the  barometer,  but  I  have  not  yet  been  able 
to  procule  them.  Mr.  de  la  Hire  allows  twelve  toises 
four  feet  for  the  line  of  mercury :  And  Picart,  one  of  the 
most  exact  French  academicians,  fourteen  toises,  orabou: 
liinety  English  feet. 

Height  cf  Fahrcnkeit^s  Thermometer, 

At  Catania,  May  26,  at  mid-day,  -  -  76 
Ditto,  May  27,  at  five  in  the  morning,  -  72 
At  Nicolosi,  12  miles  up  the  mountain,  mid-day,  73 
At  the  cave,  called  Spelonca  del  Capriole,  in  the 
second  region,  where  there  was  still  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  snow,  at  seven  at  night,  -  61 
In  the  same  cave  at  half  an  hour  past  eleven,  52 
At  the  Torre  del  Filosopho,  in  the  third  region,  at 

three  in  the  morning,  -  -  34f 

At  the  foot  of  the  crater  of -£tna>  -  33 

About  half  way  up  the  crater,         -  -  29 

On  the  summit  of  jEtna,  a  little  before  sun-rise,  27 

Height  of  the  Barometer  in  inches  and  lines. 
At  the  sea-side  at  Catania,  -,  -        29  « 


27 

8 

27 

li 

26   5\ 

24 

2 

20 

5 

20 

4i^ 

19 

6A 

88  A  Tour  through 

At  the  village  of  Piedmonte,  in  the  first  region 
ofiEtna,  -  -  - 

At  Nicolosi,  in  the  same  region, 

At  the  Castagno  de  Cento  Cavalli,  in  the  second 
region,  -  -  - 

At  the  Spelonca  del  Capriole,  in  the  second  re- 
gion, -  - 

At  the  Torre  del  Filosofo,  in  the  third  region, 

At  the  foot  of  the  crater, 

Within  about  SCO  yards  of  the  summit. 

At  the  summit  of  jEtna,  (supposed  to  be  about)         1 9  4 

The  wind  at  the  summit  was  so  violent  that  I  could  not 
make  the  observation  with  perfect  exactness;  however,  I 
am  pretty  certain  that  I  was  within  half  a  line. 

I  own  I  did  not  believe  we  should  find  jEtna  so  high. 
I  had  heard  indeed  that  it  was  higher  ihan  any  of  the 
Alps,  but  I  never  gave  credit  to  it : — How  great  then  was 
3ny  astonishment  to  find  that  the  mercury  fell  almost  two 
inches  lower  than  I  had  ever  observed  it  on  the  very  high- 
est of  the  accessible  Alps  ;  at  the  same  time  I  am  per- 
suaded there  are  many  inaccessible  points  of  ihe  Alps^ 
(particularly  Mcnt  Blanc),  that  are  still  much  higher  thaiv 
yEtna. 

I  found  the  magnetical  needle  greatly  agitated  near  the 
summit  of  the  mountain ;  (the  Padre  della  Torre  told 
me  he  had  made  the  same  observation  en  Vesuvius) ; 
however,  it  always  fixed  at  the  north  point,  though  it  look 
longer  time  in  fixing  than  below.  But  what  Recupero 
told  me  happened  to  him,  was  very  singular. — Soon  after 
the  eruption  of  1735,  he  placed  his  compass  on  the  lava, 
'j'he  needle,  he  saj  s,  to  his  great  astonishment,  was  agi- 
tated v/ith  much  violence  for  some  considerable  time,  till 
at  last  it  entirely  lost  its  magnetical  power,  standing  in- 
discriminately at  every  point  of  the  compass;  and  this  it 
never  after  recovered,  till  it  was  again  touched  with  the 
loadstone. 

The  wind,  and  my  unfortunate  sprain  together,  in  a 
great  measure  prevented  our  electrical  experiments,  on 
which  we  had  built  not  a  little :  however,  I  found  that 
round  Nicolosi,  and  particularly  on  the  top  of  Monpelieri, 
the  air  was  in  a  very  favourable  state  for  electrical  opera- 
tions.    Here  the  little  pith  balls,  when  insolated,  were 


Sidly  and  Malta  B& 

sensibly  affected,  and  repelled  each  other  above  an  inch. 
I  expected  this  electrical  state  of  the  air  would  have  in- 
creased as  we  advanced  on  the  mountain ;  but  at  the  cave 
where  we  slept,  I  could  observe  no  such  effect.  Perhaps 
it  was  owing  to  the  exhalations  from  the  trees  and  vegeta- 
bles, which  are  there  exceedingly  luxuriant ;  whereas, 
about  Nicolosi,  and  round  Monpelieri,  there  is  hardly  any 
thing  but  lava  and  dry  hot  aand. — Or  perhaps  it  might  be 
owing  to  the  evening  being  farther  advanced,  and  the 
dews  beginning  to  fall.  However,  I  have  no  doubt,  that 
upon  these  mountains  formed  by  eruption,  where  the  air 
is  strongly  impregnated  with  sulphureous  effluvia,  great 
electrical  discoveries  might  be  made.  And  perhaps,  of 
all  the  reasons  assigned  ibr  the  wonderful  vegetation  that 
is  performed  on  this  mountain,  there  is  none  that  contri- 
butes so  much  towards  it,  as  this  constant  electrical  state 
of  the  air :  For  from  a  variety  of  experiments  it  has  been 
found,  that  an  increase  of  the  electrical  matter  adds  much 
to  the  progress  of  vegetation  It  probably  acts  there  in 
the  same  manner  as  on  the  animal  body : — the  circulation 
we  know  is  performed  quicker  ;  and  the  juices  are  driven 
through  the  small  vessels  with  more  ease  and  celerity. 
This  has  often  been  proved  from  the  immediate  removal 
of  obstructions  by  electricity ;  and  probably  the  rubbing 
with  dry  and  warm  flannel,  esteemed  so  efficacious  in  such 
eases,  is  doing  nothing  more  than  exciting  a  great  degree 
of  electricity  in  the  part;  but  it  has  likewise  been  demon- 
strated, by  the  common  experiment  of  making  water 
drop  through  a  small  capillary  s.yphon,  which  the  moment 
it  is  electrified  runs  in  a  full  stream. — I  have  indeed  very 
little  doubt,  vhat  the  fertility  of  our  seasons  depends  as 
much  on  this  quality  in  the  air,  as  either  on  its  heats  or 
moisture. 

Electricity  will  probably  soon  be  considered  as  the  great 
vivifying  principle  of  Nature,  by  which  she  carries  on 
most  of  her  operations.--It  is  a  fifth  element,  distinct 
from,  and  of  a  superior  nature  to  the  other  four,  which 
enly  compose  the  corporeal  parts  of  matter:  but  this 
subtile  active  fluid  is  a  kind  of  soul  that  pervades  an(i 
quickens  every  particle  of  it — When  an  equal  quantity 
of  this  is  diffused  through  the  air,  and  over  the  face  of 
*he  earth,  every  thing  continues  calm  and  quiet ;  but  if 
by  any  accident  one  part  of  matter  has  acouired  a  greater 
I  2 


90  A  Tour  through 

quantity  than  another,  the  most  dreadful  conseqtiences 
often  ensue  before  the  equilibrium  can  be  restored— - 
Nature  seems  to  fall  into  convulsions,  and  many  of  her 
works  are  destroyed : — All  the  great  phenomena  arc  pro- 
duced ;  thunder,  lightning,  earthquakes  and  whirlwinds  : 
for  I  believe  there  is  little  doubt,  that  all  these  frequently 
depend  on  this  sole  cause.  And  again,  if  we  look  down 
from  the  sublime  of  nature  to  its  minutiae,  we  shall  still 
find  the  same  pawer  acting,  though  perhaps  in  le^s  legi- 
ble characters ;  for  as  the  knowledge  of  its  operations  are 
still  in  its  infancy,  they  are  generally  misunderstood,  or 
ascribed  to  some  other  cause.  However,  I  have  no  doubt, 
that  in  process  of  lime  these  will  be  properly  investigated; 
when  mankind  will  wonder  how  much  they  have  been  in 
the  dark.  It  will  then  possibly  be  found,  that  what  we 
call  sensibility  of  nerves,  and  many  of  those  diseases,  that 
the  faculty  have  as  yet  only  invented  names  for,  are  owing 
to  the  body's  being  possessed  of  too  large  or  too  sm.all  a 
quantity  of  this  subtile  and  active  fluid ;  that  very  fluid, 
perhaps,  that  is  the  vehicle  of  all  our  feelings,  and  which 
they  have  so  long  searched  for  in  vain  in  the  nerves;  for 
I  have  sometimes  been  led  to  think,  that  this  sense  was 
nothing  else  than  a  slighter  kind  of  electric  eff'ect,  to 
which  the  nerves  serve  as  conductors ;  and  that  it  is  by 
the  rapid  circulation  of  this  penetrating  and  animating 
iire  that  our  sensations  are  performed.  We  all  know, 
that  in  damp  and  hazy  weatheF,  when  it  seems  to  be 
blunted  and  absorbed  by  the  humidity  ;  when  its  activity 
is  lost,  and  lit'le  or  none  of  it  can  be  collected  :  we  ever 
find  our  spirits  more  languid,  and  our  sensibility  less 
acute :  but  in  the  sirocc  wind  at  Naples,  when  the  air  seems 
totally  deprived  of  it,  the  whole  system  is  unstrung,  and 
the  nerves  seem  to  lose  both  their  tension  and  elasticity, 
till  the  north  or  west  wind  awakens  the  activity  of  this 
animating  power,  which  soon  restores  the  tone,  and  enli- 
vens all  nature,  which  seemed  to  droop  and  languish  dur- 
ing its  absence. 

It  is  likewise  well  known,  that  there  have  been  in- 
stances of  the  human  body  becoming  electric  without  the 
mediation  of  any  electrical  substance,  and  even  emitting 
sparks  of  fire  with  a  disagreeable  sensation,  and  an  ex- 
treme degree  of  nervous  sensibility. 
About  seven  or  eight  years  ago,  a  lady  in  Switzerland 


Sidly  and  Malta,  91 

was  affected  in  this  manner,  and  though  I  was  not  able  to 
learn  all  the  particulars  of  her  case,  yet  several  Swiss 
gentlemen  have  confirmed  to  me  the  truth  of  the  story. — 
She  was  uncommonly  sensible  of  every  change  of  wea- 
ther, and  had  her  electrical  feelings  strongest  in  a  clear 
day,  or  during  the  passage  of  thunder-clouds,  when  the 
air  is  known  to  be  replete  with  that  fluid.  Her  case,  like 
most  others  which  the  doctors  can  make  not:Jng  of,  was 
decided  to  be  a  nervous  one  ;  for  the  reul  meaning  of  that 
term  1  take  it  to  be  only,  that  the  physician  does  not  un- 
derstand what  it  is. 

Two  gentlemen  of  Geneva  had  a  short  experience  of 
the  same  sort  of  complaint,  though  still  in  a  much  supe- 
rior degree. — Professor  Saussure  and  yoi-ng  Mr  Jalabert? 
when  travelling  over  one  of  the  high  Alps,  were  caught 
amongst  thunder-clouds;  and  to  their  utter  astonishment, 
found  their  bodies  so  full  of  electrical  fire,  that  sponta- 
neous flashes  darted  from  their  fingers  with  a  crackling 
noise,  and  the  same  kind  of  sensation  as  when  strongly 
electrified  by  art. — This  was  communicated  by  Mr.  Jala- 
bert  to  the  Academy  of  Sciences  at  Paris,  I  think,  in  the 
year  1763  ;  and  you  will  find  it  recorded  in  their  memoirs. 

It  seems  pretty  evident,  I  think,  that  these  feelings 
were  owing  to  the  bodies  being  possessed  of  too  great  a 
share  of  electric  fire.  This  is  an  uncommon  esse  ;  but 
I  do  not  think  it  at  all  improbable,  that  many  of  our  inva- 
lids, particularly  the  hypochondriac,  and  those  we  call 
Malades  Imaginaircs^  owe  their  disagreeable  feelings  to 
the  opposite  cause,  or  the  bodies  being  possessed  cf  too 
small  a  quantity  of  this  fire  ;  for  we  find  that  a  diminution 
of  it  in  the  air  seldom  fails  to  increase  their  uneasy  sensa- 
tions, and  vice  vena. 

Perhaps  it  might  be  of  service  to  these  people  to  wear 
some  electric   substance  next  their  skin,  to  defend  the 

nerves  and  fibres  from  the  damp  or  non-electric  air I 

would  propose  a  waistcoat  of"  the  finest  flc/nnel,  which 
should  be  kept  perfectly  clean  and  dry  ;  for  the  effluvia 
of  the  body,  in  case  of  any  violent  perspiration,  will  soon 
destroy  its  electric  quality  :  this  should  be  covered  by, an- 
other of  the  same  size,  of  silk.  The  animal  heat,  and  the 
friction  that  exercise  must  occasion  beiwixt  these  two 
substances,  produce  a  powerful  electricity  ;  and  would 
fbrm  a  kind  of  electric  atmosphere  around  the  body,  that 


9S  A  Tour  through 

might  possibly  be  one  of  the  best  preservatives  against 
the  effect  of  damps. 

As  for  our  Swiss  lady,  I  have  little  (^oubt  that  her  com- 
plaints were  owing  in  great  part,  perhaps  entirely,  to  her 
dress ;  and  that  a  very  small  alteration,  almost  in  any  part 
of  it,  would  effectually  have  cured  her.  A  lady  who  has 
her  head  surrounded  with  wires,  and  her  hair  stuck  full 
of  metal  pins,  and  who  at  the  same  time  stands  upon  dry 
silk,  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  an  electrical  conductor 
insolated,  and  prepared  for  collecting  the  fire  from  the 
atmosphere :  and  it  is  not  at  all  surprising,  that  during 
thunder-storms,  or  when  the  air  is  extremely  replete  with 
electrical  matter,  she  should  emit  sparks,  and  exhibit 
other  appearances  of  electricity. — I  imagine  a  very  tri- 
fling change  of  dress,  which  from  the  constant  versatility 
of  iheir  modes  may  some  day  take  place,  would  render 
this  lady's  disease  altogether  epidemical  amongst  the  sex. 
Only  let  the  soles  of  their  shoes  be  made  of  an  electric 
substance,  and  let  the  wires  of  their  caps,  and  pins  of  their 
hair,  be  somewhat  lengthened  and  pointed  outwards ;  and 
I  think  there  is  little  doubt,  that  they  will  often  find  them- 
selves in  an  electrified  state  : — But,  indeed,  if  they  only 
wear  silk,  or  even  worsted  stockings,  it  may  sometimes 
prove  sufficient ;  for  I  have  often  insolated  electrometers 
as  perfectly  by  placing  them  on  a  piece  of  dry  silk  or 
flannel,  as  on  a  glass. 

How  iiale  do  our  ladies  imagine,  when  they  surround 
their  heads  with  wire,  the  most  powerful  of  all  conduct- 
ors, and  at  the  same  time  wear  stockings,  shoes,  and 
gowns  of  silk,  one  of  the  most  powerful  repellents,  that 
they  p  cpare  their  bodies  in  the  same  manner,  and  ac- 
cording to  the  same  principles,  as  electricians  prepare 
their  conduct  >rs  for  attracting  the  fire  of  lightning !  If 
they  cannot  be  brought  to  relinquish  their  wire  caps  and 
fcheir  pins,  might  they  not  fall  upon  some  such  preserva- 
tive as  those  vvhich  of  late  years  have  been  applied  to 
objects  of  less  consequence. 

Suppose  that  every  Udy  should  provide  herself  with 
a  small  chain,  or  wire,  to  be  hoVlked  on  at  pleasure  during 
thunder-storms.  This  should  pass  from  her  cap  over 
the  thickest  part  of  her  hair,  which  will  prevent  the  fire 
from  being  communicated  to  her  head  ;  and  so  down  to 
0ie  grounKi. — It  is  plain  this  will  act  in  the  same  manner 


Sicily  and  Malta,  93 

as  the  cenductors  on  the  top  of  steeples,  which,  from  the 
metal  spires  that  are  commonly  placed  there,  analogous 
to  the  pins  and  wires,  were  so  liable  to  accidents.  You 
may  laugh  at  this ;  bu^  I  assure  you  I  never  was  more 
serious  in  my  life.  A  very  amiable  lady  of  my  acquaint- 
ance, Mrs.  Douglass,  of  Kelso,  had  almost  lost  her  life  by 
one  of  those  caps  mounted  on  wire.  She  was  standing 
at  an  open  window  during  a  thunder-storm  :  ihe  lightning 
was  attracted  by  the  wire,  and  the  cap  was  burnt  to  asli^s; 
happily  her  hair  was  in  its  natural  stale,  without  powder, 
pomatum,  or  pins,  and  prevented  the  fire  from  being  con- 
ducted to  her  head  ;  for  as  she  ft  It  no  kind  of  shock,  it  is 
probable  that  it  went  off  from  the  wire-!:,  of  the  cap  to  ihe 
wall,  close  to  which  she  then  stood.  If  it  had  found  any 
conductor  to  carry  it  to  her  head  or  body,  in  all  probabi- 
lity she  must  have  been  killed — A  good  strong  head  of 
hair,  if  it  is  kept  perfectly  clean  and  dry,  is  probably  one 
of  the  best  preservatives  against  the  fire  of  lightning. 
But  so  soon  as  it  is  stuifcd  full  of  powder  and  pomatum^ 
and  bound  together  with  pins,  its  repellent  force  is  lost, 
and  it  becomes  a  conductor*.— But  I  beg  pardon  for  these 
surmises ;  I  throw  them  in  your  way  otily  to  inDprove 
upon  it  at  leisure  ;  for  we  have  it  ever  in  our  power  to 


*  Sinee  the  writing  of  these  letters,  the  author  has  made  some 
experiments  on  the  electricity  of  hair  ;  which  tend  still  to  con- 
vince him  the  n\ore  ofwrhat  he  has  advanced.  A  lady  told  him, 
that  on  combing  her  hair  in  frosty  weather,  she-  had  sometimes 
observed  sparks  of  fire  to  issue  from  it.  This  made  him  think 
of  attempting  to  collect  the  electrical  fire  from  Lair  alone,  with- 
out the  assistance  of  any  other  electrical  apparatus.  To  this 
end,  he  desired  a  young  lady  to  stand  on  a  cake  of  bees-wax,  and 
to  comb  her  sister's  hair,  who  was  sitting  on  a  chair  before  her. 
Soon  after  she  began  to  comb,  the  \ouog  lady  on  the  wax  was 
greatly  astonislied  to  find  her  wliolc  body  electrified  ;  darting 
out  sparks  of  fire  against  every  object  tliat  approached  her.  The 
hair  was  extremely  electrical,  and  affected  an  electrometer  at  a 
vcr^,  great  distance  :  He  cha.rged  a  metal  conductor  from  it  with 
great  ease;  and  hi  the  space  of  a  few  minutes  collected  as  much 
fire  immediately  from  the  hair,  as  to  kindle  common  spirits;  and 
by  means  of  a  small  phial,  gave  many  smart  shocks  to  all  the 
company.  A  full  j.\ccount  of  these  experiments  was  lately  read 
before  the  Royal  Society.  They  were  made  during  the  time 
of  a  very  hard  frost,  and  on  a  strong  head  of  hair,  where  no 
powder  or  pomatum  had  been  used  for  many  raootbs. 


94  A  Tour  thromh 


'-b' 


be  making  experiments  in  electricity.  And  although 
this  fluid  is  the  most  subtile  and  active  of  any  we  know, 
we  can  command  it  on  all  occasions  ;  and  I  am  now  so 
accustomed  to  its  operations,  that  I  seldom  comb  my 
hair,  or  pull  off  a  stocking^,  without  observing  them  under 
some  form  or  other.  How  surprising  it  is  then  that  man- 
kind should  have  lived  and  breathed  for  so  many  thou- 
sand years,  without  almost  ever  supposing  that  it  existed ! 
But  to  return  to  our  mountain. 

Recupero  told  me  he  had  observed  the  same  phenome- 
non here  that  is  common  in  the  eruptions  of  Mount 
Vesuvius,  viz.  red  forked  lightning  darting  from  the 
smoke,  without  being  followed  by  the  noise  of  thunder. 
The  reason  possibly  is,  that  the  crater  and  smoke  is  at 
that  time  so  highly  electrical,  that  like  a  cylinder  or 
globe,  heated  by  friciion,it  throws  off  spontaneous  flashes 
into  the  air,  without  being  brougtit  into  the  attraction  of 
any  conductor,  or  body  less  electric  than  itself,  (indeed 
the  spontaneous  discharges  from  a  good  electrical  globe 
often  bear  a  perfect  resemblance  to  this  kind  of  light- 
ning) ;  however,  if  a  non-electric  cloud  were  to  pass  near 
the  crater  at  that  lime,  the  crash  of  thunder  would  proba- 
bly be  very  violent,  which  indeed  is  often  the  case  when 
the  air  is  full  of  wet  clouds  in  the  time  of  an  eruption  ; 
but  when  this  does  not  happen,  the  equilibrium  is  proba- 
bly restored  by  degrees,  and  without  a  shock,  from  the 
surplus  of  electrical  mater  being  gradually  communi- 
cated to  the  earth  and  sea  all  around  the  mountain ;  the 
immense  lavas  that  have  run  from  it  serving  as  con- 
ductors. 

So  highly  electric  is  the  vapour  of  volcanoes,  that  it 
has  been  observed  in  some  eruptions  both  of  iEina  and 
Vesuvius,  that  the  whole  track  of  smoke,  which  some- 
times extended  above  100  miles,  produced  the  most 
dreadful  effects;  killing  shepherds  and  flocks  on  the 
mountains,  blasting  trees,  and  setting  fire  to  houses, 
wherever  it  met  with  them  on  an  elevated  situation.  Now 
probably  the  flying  of  a  kite,  with  a  wire  round  its  string, 
would  Soon  have  disarmed  this  formidable  cloud.  These 
effects,  however,  only  happen  when  the  air  is  dry  and 
little  agitated,  bat  when  it  is  full  of  moist  vapour,  the 
great  rarefaction  from  the  heat  of  lava  generally  brings 
it  down  in  violent  torrents  of  rain,  which  soon  convey 


Sicilr/  and  Malta,  95 

the  electrical  matter  from  the  clouds  to  the  earth,  and 
restores  the  equilibrium. 

As  Recupero,  who  is  a  fecetious  and  an  agreeable  com- 
panion, was  kind  enough  to  sit  a  good  deal  with  me, 
during  my  confinement,  1  have  gathered  many  remarks 
from  his  conversation,  that  may  perhaps  be  worthy  of 
your  attention. 

The  variety  of  waters  about  jEtna,  he  tells  me,  is  sur- 
prising. I  have  already  mentioned  the  Fiume  Fredo,  or 
the  river  of  Acis  :  Recupero  confirms  what  I  have  been 
told  of  it.  There  is  a  lake  on  the  north  of  the  mountain, 
of  about  three  miles  in  circumference,  which  receives 
several  considerable  rivers;  yet,  although  there  is  no 
apparent  outlet,  it  never  overflows  its  banks.  1  suggested 
the  probability  of  a  subterraneous  communication  betwixt 
this  and  the  Fiume  Freddo.  He  said  there  was  no  re- 
semblance in  the  quality  of  their  waters ;  however,  I 
think  it  is  probable,  that  in  a  course  of  so  many  miles, 
through  the  caverns  of  iEtna,  full  of  salts  and  minerals, 
it  may  acquire  both  its  cold  and  its  vitriolic  qualities. 

There  is  another  lake  on  the  top  of  a  mountain  to  the 
west  of  ^tna,  the  bottom  of  which  could  never  be  found. 
It  is  observed  never  to  rise  or  fall,  but  always  to  preserve 
the  same  level.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  crater  of  that 
mountain  (which  is  all  of  burnt  matter)  converted  into 
a  lake.  The  river  which  supplies  the  baths  of  Catania 
is  of  a  very  different  nature  :  ii  never  continues  the  same, 
but  is  perpetually  changing.  Its  cuirent  is  for  the  HiOSt 
part  confined  under  .ground  by  the  lavas  i  but  sometimes 
it  bursts  out  with  such  violence,  that  the  city  hss  suffered 
greatly  from  it;  and  what  is  siiil  n.ore  unfortunate,  these 
eruptions  are  generally  followed  by  seme  epidemical 
distemper.  It  has  now  been  constantly  dimiuishing  for 
these  two  years  past,  and  is  at  present  almost  reduced  to 
nothing.  They  are  in  perpetual  dread  of  its  breaking 
out,  and  laying  waste  their  fields,  as  it  has  so  often  done 
before.  What  is  sing\ilar,  it  generally  bursts  out,  after 
a  long  tract  of  the  driest  and  warmest  weather.  The 
iEtnean  Acadrmy  have  never  been  nble  to  account  for 
this  circumstance.  I  think  it  is  most  probable  that  it  arises 
from  the  mehing  of  the  snow  of  iEtna,  but  I  shall  not 
pretend  to  say  how — These  perhaps,  overfilling  the  ca- 
verns that  usually  receive  their  water,  the  surplus  is  car- 
ried off  into  this  river. 


96  A  Tour  through 

The  river  of  Alcantara  certainly  takes  its  rise  from 
tlie  melting  of  these  snows.     Its  waters,  I  observed,  are 
of  the  same  whitish  colours  as  all  the  rivers  are  that  run 
from  the  Glacieres  amongst  the  Alps.    There  are  several 
periodical  springs  on  jEtna,  that  flow  only  during  the  day, 
and  stop  during  the  night.  These  are  naturally  and  easily 
accounted  for  from  the  melting  of  the  snow  ;  for  it  melts 
only  during  the  day,  behig  hard  frozen  every  night,  even 
in  the  hottest  season.     There  are  likewise  a  variety  of 
poisonous  springs,  some  of  so  deadly  a  quality,  that  birds 
and  beasts  have  been  found  lying  dead  on  their  banks, 
from  having  drunk  of  their  water.    But  (what  is  perhaps 
still  more  singular)  Recupero  told  me,  that  about  twenty 
years  ago,  a  rent  opened  in  the  mountain,  that  for  a  con- 
siderable time  sent  forth  so  mephitic  a  vapour,  that,  like 
the  lake  Avernus,  birds  were  suflfocated  in  flying  over  it. 
There  are  many  caverns,  where  the  air  is  so  extremely 
cold,  that  it  is  impossible  to  support  it  for  any  time. — 
These  the  peasants  make  use  cf  as  reservoirs  for  the 
snow;  and  indeed  they  make  the  finest  ice-houses  in  the 
world,  preserving  it  hard  frozen  during  the  hottest  sum- 
mers.    It  would  be  endless  to  give  an  account  of  all  the 
caverns,  and  other  curious  appearances  about  ^Etna. — 
Kircher  speaks  of  a  cave  which  he  sa^v,  capable,  he  says, 
of  containing  thirty  thousand  men.     Here,  he  adds,  num- 
bers of  people  have  been  lost  from  their  temerity  in 
going  too  far.  One  of  these  caverns  still  retains  the  name 
of  Proserpine,  from  its  being  supposed  by  the  ancients 
tiie  passage  by  which  Pluto  conveyed  her  into  his  domi- 
nions ;  on  this  occasion  Ovid  describes  Ceres  as  searching 
for  her  daughter,  with  two  trees  which  she  h«id  plucked 
from  the  mount  lin,  and  lighted  by  way  of  torches    These 
he  calls  Teda,  which  is  still  the  name  of  a  tree  I  have 
seen  no  where  but  on  Mount  ^tna.     It  produces  a  great 
quantity  of  rosin,  and  surely  was  the  most  proper  tree 
Ceres  could   have  pitched  upon  fdr.  her  purpose.     The 
rosin  is  called  CataUma,  and  is  esteemed  a  cure  for  sores. 
I  have  mentioned  the  great  variety  of  flowers,  trees, 
&c.  on  Mount  -/Etna.     I  have  found  a  long  list  of  them 
in  Massa ;  but  as  I  am  not  acquainted  with  their  Sicilian 
names,   I  can  make  little  out  of  it.     I  have  engaged  k 
person  here  to  procure  me  a  collection  of  their  seeds  in 
the  seasop.-  I  And  of  the  number,  the  cinnamon,  sarsa* 


Sicily  and  Malta.  97 

parilla,  sassafras,  rhubarb,  and  many  others  that  I  thought 
had  not  been  natives  of  Europe.  The  Palma  ClirUti  too, 
that  plant  so  much  celebrated  of  late,  from  the  seed  of 
which  the  castor  oil  is  made,  grows  both  here  and  in 
many  other  places  of  S»cily,  in  the  greatest  abundance. 
Our  botanists  have  called  it^Hicinus  Americanos,  sup- 
posing it  only  to  be  produced  in  that  part  of  the  world. 
A  litth  physician,  I  remember,  has  lately  written  a  trea- 
tise on  this  plant,  and  the  virtues  of  the  oil  extracted 
from  its  seed,  which  he  makes  a  sort  of  Catholicon.  You 
may  believe  we  shall  not  leave  Sicily  without  providing 
ourselves  with  a  quantity  of  this  precious  seed. 

Mount  ^tna,  I  find,  is  as  much  cslcbrated  by  the  an- 
cients as  the  moderns,  for  the  variety  of  its  odoriferous 
productions.  Plutarch  says,  their  smell  was  so  strong, 
that  on  many  places  of  the  mountain  it  was  impossible  to 
hunt.  I  shall  transcribe  the  passage  as  it  is  before  me 
in  an  old  translation  I  have  borrowed.  "  Circum  iEnam 
in  Sicilia  neminem  ferunt  cum  canibus  venatum  iri ;  quia 
enim  multos  perpetuo  illic  ut  in  viridario  prata,  collesquc 
floresmittunt  a  fragraniia,quaE  earn  cram  occupat,obfuscare 
ferarum  anhelationes,"  Sec.  Aristotle  has  likewise  a  pas- 
sage to  the  very  same  purpose  ;  but  this  may  suffice. 

There  were  formerly  a  variety  of  wild  beasts  in  the 
woody  regions  of  ^tna  ;  but  notwirhstandng  the  ad- 
vantage they  had  over  the  dogs  and  huntcrh,  the  num- 
ber of  these  is  now  greatly  reduced. — >They  have  stillj 
however,  the  wild  boar,  the  roebuck,  and  a  kind  of  wild 
goat;  but  the  race  of  stags,  which  was  much  celebrated, 
as  well  as  that  of  bears,  is  thought  to  be  extinct.  Several 
places  of  the  mountain  are  still  named  f ro  n  those  animals. 

The  horses  and  cattle  of  iVlount  -£tna  were  esteemed 
the  best  in  Sicily.  The  cattle  are  still  of  a  1  nge  size,  r#id 
have  horns  of  such  a  length,  that  they  are  preseivecl  as 
curiosities  in  some  roubeums.  The  horses,  1  am  afraid, 
have  degenerated. 

There  are  said  to  be  quantities  of  porcupines  and  land 
tortoises  on  some  parts  ot  iEtna  ;  but  we  had  not  the  good 
fortune  to  meet  with  any  of  them.  Neither  did  we  sec 
any  eagles  or  vultures,  which  are  likewise  said  to  be  in- 
habitants of  this  mountain. 

The  account  given  of  Mount  iEtna  by  the  old  Sicilian 
authors,  (several  of  whom  I  h4ve  borrowed  from  Kecupe- 


98  A  Tour  through 

ro),  arc  very  various.  Some  of  them  describe  the  hollow 
of  the  crater  as  being  seven  or  eight  miles  in  circumfer^ 
ence,  some  make  it  five,  and  others  only  three  :  and  pro- 
bably all  of  them  are  right;  for  I  find  by  all  their  accounts, 
that  generally  once  in  about  one  hundred  years,  the  whole 
crater  has  fallen  down  into  the  bowels  of  the  mountain  : 
that  in  process  of  time,  a  new  crater  is  seen  peeping  out 
of  the  gulf;  which  perpetually  increasing  by  the  matter 
thrown  up.,  is  by  degrees  raised  again  to  its  ancient  height, 
till  at  last  becoming  too  heavy  for  its  hoIloNv  foundations, 
it  again  gives  way,  and  at  once  sinks  down  into  the  moun- 
tain. This  happened  about  one  hundred  years  ago,  in 
the  year  1669,  as  recorded  by  Borelli,  whose  account  of 
It  I  have  before  me.  "  Universam  cacumen,  quod  ad 
instar  speculae,  seu  turris,  ad  ingentem  aititudinem  ele- 
vabatur,  quod  una  cum  vasta  planitie  arenosa  depressa, 
atque  alisorpta  est  in  profundam  voraginem,'*  &c.  The 
same  likewise  happened  in  the  year  1536,  as  recorded  by 
Fazzello  and  Filoieo,  and  in  the  year  1444,  1329,  and 
1 157.  Of  all  these  I  have  read  an  account ;  but  probably 
betwixt  the  two  last  mentioned,  there  has  been  another 
that  is  not  recorded,  as  the  intervals  betwixt  all  the  rest 
are  pretty  nearly  equal. 

Some  of  iliem  give  a  dreadful  account  of  it.  Folcando, 
one  of  their  historians,  tells  us,  it  shook  the  whole  island, 
and  resounded  through  all  its  shores.  And  their  poet 
Ericho  says,  on  the  same  occasion ; 

**  S^Bde  il  sno  ^ran  mugito 
JPev  mille  piagge  e  lidi.^* 

^'  The  bellowing  dire  a  thousand  lands  resound, 
Whose  trembling  shores  return  the  dreadful  sound." 

In  all  probability,  this  event  will  very  soon  happen,  as  the 
circumference  of  the  crater  is  no  where  recorded  to  have 
been  reduced  to  less  than  three  miles ;  and  Recupero 
says,  it  is  at  present  only  three  miles  and  a  half;  besides, 
one  hundred  years,  the  common  period,  has  now  elapsed 
since  its  last  fall 

There  are  many  stories  of  people  perishing  by  their 
temerity,  in  being  too  curious  spectators  of  the  eruptions 
of  this  mountain  ;  but  there  are  still  msny  more,  of  those 
th,Stt  have  bsen  miraculously  saved  by  the  interposition  of 


Sicily  and  Malta.  9^ 

some  saint  or  virgin,  who  are  supposed  to  be  in  a  perpe- 
tual state  of  warfare  with  the  devils  in  Mount  ^tna- — 
That  part  of  the  island  where  iEtna  stands,  has  ever  been 
named  il  Val  DeinonU  from  the  frequent  apparitions  of 
these  devils.  It  makes  one-third  of  the  island  The 
other  two  are  named  the  Val  di  Ab/o,  and  the  Val  di  Max- 
zaro. 

There  is  one  story,  though  a  very  old  one,  that  is  still 
related  at  Catania ;  it  is  tsken  notice  of  by  Seneca,  Aris- 
totle, Sirabo,  and  others.  In  the  time  of  a  great  eruption, 
when  the  fire  was  pouring  down  upon  the  city,  and  every 
one  was  carrying  off  his  most  valuable  effects ;  two  rich 
brothers,  named  Avjinomus  and  Anafnas^  neglecting  all 
their  weahb,  esc^tp^d  from  the  conflagration  with  their 
aged  parents  on  their  backs  These  authors  add,  that  the 
fir;;,  respecting  such  filial  piety,  spared  them,  while  many 
others  that  took  the  same  road  were  consumed. 

This  action  has  been  wonderfully  extolled,  and  proves 
I  think,  that  feats  of  this  kind  were  by  no  means  common 
in  those  days — Now,  pray,  don*t  you  think,  in  the  world, 
at  present,  bad  as  it  is  supposed  to  be,  there  are  few  sons 
who  would  not  have  acted  in  the  same  manner?  And 
sure  I  am,  the  rest  of  mankind  would  not  have  made  such 
a  fuss  about  it.  Humanity  and  natual  affection,  I  believe, 
in  those  ages  we  are  inclined  to  extol  so  much,  were  not 
by  many  degrees  so  powerful  as  they  are  at  present. — 
Even  the  pious  ^neas  himself,  one  of  the  most  renowned 
of  all  their  heroes,  was  in  effect  but  a  savage,  notwiih- 
standing  all  that  Virgil  says  to  persuade  us  of  the  con- 
trary;  for  you  fin:J  him  sacrificing  his  weak  and  captive 
enemies,  at  the  same  time  that  he  is  canting  and  preach- 
ing up  piety  and  justice. 

These  two  brothers  were  so  celebrated  for  this  action, 
that  there  was  a  dispute  betwixt  Syracuse  and  Catania, 
which  of  these  cities  had  given  them  birth  ;  and  temples 
were  erected  in  both  of  them,  dedicated  to  Filial  Piety, 
in  memory  of  the  event. 

In  the  accounts  of  the  more  recent  destructions  of  Ca- 
tania, there  occurs  no  instance  of  this  sort  —We  find 
them'only  lamenting  the  loss  of  priests  and  nuns,  and 
very  much  out  of  humour  at  their  saints,  for  allowing  the 
devils  to  get  the  better  of  them.  I  have  been  a  good 
deal  entertained  with  some  of  those  authors. — Selvaggi(>, 


100  A  Tour  th'ough 

one  of  the  poets,  speaking  of  the  terrible  earthquake  19 
the  year  1169,  that  destroyed  Catania,  and  buried  nuilti- 
tudes  of  people  in  the  ruins,  describes  it  in  the  following 
manner,  which  may  serve  as  a  specimen  of  the  poetry  of 
that  time  : 

**  Cataneam  doleo,  dolor  est  miserabile  dictu  \ 
Clara  potens  antiqua  fuit;  plebe,  milite,  clero, 
Divitiis,  auro,  specie,  vu-tute,  triumphis. 
Hen  lerrx  motu  ruit  ilia  potentia  rerum  : 
:Morie  ruit  juvenis,  Tnoritur  vh-,  sponsa,  maritus, 
Unde  siiperbit  homo  ?  Deus  una  diruit  hora 
Tiures,  ornatus,  vestes,  cunctosque  paratus. 
In  tanto  gemitu  periit  pars  maxima  g-entis, 
Proh  dolor !  et  monachi  quadraginta  quatuor  et  plus  i 
Et  periit  pastor  patriae,  pater  ipse  Johannes 
Pontificalis  honor,  lux  regni  sic  periere." 

But  another,  Gustanavilla,  one  of  their  historians,  gives 
a  very  different  account  of  this  aff\»ir;  as  it  is  likewise 
somewhat  curious  in  its  way,  I  shall  copy  it  for  your 
amusement:  "  In  omnem  terram,et  in  fines  orbis,  terrae 
jam  exiit,  plaga  ilia,  qua  nuper  in  Sicilia  percussi  sunt 
Catanenses  in  vigilia  B.  Agathae ;  cum  episcopus  ille 
damnutissimus,  qui,  cicut  scitis,  sibi  sumpsit  honorem, 
non  vocatus  a  Domino,  tanquam  Aaron,  et  qui  ad  sedem 
illam,  non  eleciione  canonica,  sed  Giezetica  venalitate 
intrivat ;  cum,  inquam  abominationis  offerret  incensum, 
ilitonuit  de  coelo  D«minus,  et  ecce  terrae  motus  factus  est 
magnus  :  angelus  enim  Domini  percuticns  episcopum  in 
furore  Domini  cum  populo,  et  universa  civitate  subvertit." 

He  adds,  that  if  St.  Agatha's  veil  had  not  been  pro- 
duced, the  angel  of  the  Lord  was  in  such  a  fury,  that  he 
would  not  have  left  one  soul  alive. 

There  is  a  curious  painting  of  the  great  eruption  1669, 
in  the  cathedral  of  this  place.  It  is  but  indifferently 
painted,  but  gives  a  dreadful  idea  of  that  event.  Bortlli, 
who  was  upon  the  spot  describes  it. — Ho  says,  on  the 
1  ith  of  March,  some  time  before  the  Inva  burst  out,  after 
violent  earthqu.  kes  and  dreadful  subterraneous  bellowing, 
a  rent  was  opened  in  the  mountain  twelve  mites  long ;  in 
some  places  of  which,  when  they  threw  down  stones,  they 
could  not  hear  them  strike  the  bottom.  He  says,  that 
burning  rocks,  sixty  palms  in  length,  were  thrown  to  the 
distance  of  a  mile ;  and  that  the  giantsj^  supposed  to  be 


1 


Sicily  a?id  Malta.  40 i 

buried  under  Mount  ^tna,  seemed  to  have  renewed  their 
war  against  heaven :  that  stones  of  a  lesser  size  were 
carried  upwards  of  three  miles  ;  and  that  the  thunder  and 
lightning  from  the  smoke  was  scarce  less  terrible  than 
the  noise  ot  the  mountain.  He  adds,  that  after  the  most 
violent  struggles,  and  shaking  of  the  whole  island,  when 
the  lava  at  last  burst  through,  it  sprung  up  into  the  air  to 
the  height  of  sixty  pulms — In  short,  he  describes  that 
event,  as  well  as  the  universal  terror  and  consternation 
it  occasioned,  in  terms  full  of  horror. — For  many  weeks 
the  sun  did  not  appear,  and  the  day  seemed  to  be  changed 
into  night. — Soon  after  the  lava  got  vent,  which  was  not 
till  four  months  from  the  time  that  the  mountain  began  to 
labour,  all  these  dreadful  symptoms  abated,  and  it  was 
soon  perfectly  quiet. 

He  says,  this  deluge  of  fire,  after  destroying  the  finest 
country  in  Sicily,  and  sweeping  away  churches,  villages, 
and  convents,  broke  over  the  lofty  walls  of  Catania,  and 
covered  up  five  of  its  bastions  with  the  intervening  cur- 
tains. From  thence  pouring  down  on  the  city,  it  destroy- 
ed every  object  it  met  with,  overwhelming  and  burying 
all  in  one  promiscuous  ruin. 

What  he  regrets  most  was  some  precious  remains  of 
antiquity  ;  the  names,  the  situation,  and  even  the  memory 
of  whose  existence,  is  now  lost  in  the  place.  He  men- 
lionsan  amphitheatre,  which  he  calls  Coliiteo^  the  Circus 
Majcimiis,  the  JVaumac/iia,  and  several  temples. 

An  account  of  this  great  eruption  was  sent  to  Charles 
II  by  Lord  Winchelsea,  who  was  then  returning  from 
his  embassy  at  Constantinople,  and  stopped  here  on  pur- 
pose to  see  so  remarkiblc  an  event  But  his  Lordship 
has  not  been  at  that  pains  to  examine  it  we  could  have 
wished.  His  curiosity  was  satisfied  in  one  day  ;  and  he 
seems  to  have  been  contented  only  to  look  at  the  lava  at 
a  great  distance  r  but  did  not  think  of  examining  its 
source,  or  ascending  the  mountain,  although  at  that  time 
all  the -most  formidable  circumstances  of  the  erupiioa 
were  already  over. 

I  should  not  finish  this  account  of  Mount  iEtna,  with- 
out saying  something  of  the  various  fables  and  allegories^ 
to  which  it  has  given  rise ;  but  it  would  probably  lead 
me  into  too  vast  a  field,  and  give  this  more  the  air  of  a 
jJisseriation,  than  a  letter  or  a  iournal.  These  you  wi?i 
K2 


iO'2  A  Tour  throtigk 

easily  recollect.  They  have  afforded  ample  employment 
ior  the  muse,  in  all  ages,  and  in  all  languages;  and  in- 
deed ihe  philosopher  and  natural  historian  have  found, 
in  the  real  properties  of  this  mountain,  as  ample  a  fund 

of  speculation,  as  the  poets  have  done  in  the  fictiiious 

It  is  so  often  mentioned  by  the  ancient  writers,  that  it 
has  been  said  of  -/Etna  as  well  as  of  Greece ; 

"  Nullum  est  sine  nomine  saxum.'* 

indeed,  I  am  afraid  this  saying  was  much  more  applicable 
to  it  formerly  than  it  is  at  present ;  for  we  even  found 
several  large  mountains  that,  had  no  name  ;  and  it  does 
not  at  all  appear,  that  the  number  of  philosophers  in  S1-, 
rily  have  by  any  means  increased  in  the  latter  ages.— 
Their  ambition  is  now  changed;  and  if  they  can  get  a 
saint  to  keep  the  devils  of  JEtna  in  order,  they  trouble 
themselves  very  .little  about  the  cause  of  its  operations; 
and  do  not  value  their  island  half  so  much  for  having 
given  birth  to  Archimedes  or  Empedocles,  as  to  St.  Aga- 
tha and  St  Rosolia. 

The  ancients  as  well  as  the  modems,  seem  ever  to  have 
considered  J^.tna  as  one  of  the  highest  mountains  on  the 
globe.  There  are  many  passages  in  their  authors  that 
shew  this ;  though  perhaps  none  more  strongly  than  their 
making  Deucalion  and  Phrrha  take  refuge  on  the  top  of 
it,  to  save  themselves  from  the  universal  deluge*. 

1  shall  now  conclude  this  long  account  of  Mount  i£t- 
jaa,  with  Virgirs  celebrated  description  of  it  in  the  third 
jEniad,  which  has  been  so  much  admired.  You  may  com- 
pare it  with  the  following  description  of  the  famous  poet 
Kaitano,  held,  I  assure  you,  in  full  as  high  estimation  by 
the  Sicilians : 

**  Nel  mezzo  verso  I'ethere  avviccina 
-Etna  la  fronte  sua  cinta  di  orrori^ 
E  con  ispavantevole  rovina. 
Rimbomba,  e  con  oi'ibili  fragrori, 
Soventi  nejn-i  nubi  al  ciel  destina 


*  Cataclysmus,  quod  nos  diluvium  dicimus,  cum  factus  est 
*mne  genus  humanum  interriit  praeter  Deucalionem  et  Pyrrham, 
qui  in  montem  .Etnam,  qui  altisaimwa  ifl.  Sicilia  esse  dicitur,- 
ftigeruntj  ho.    llieijrvs. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  10>^ 

JbMmanti  di  atro  turbine,  e  di  ardori, 
Ergi  globbi  di  fiamma,  e  su  lambisce 
Le  stelle  ornai  con  infiiocate  striscie ; 
Scogli,  e  divelte  viscere  di  monte 
Erruttmdo  tal  volta  avido  estolle  : 
E  con  gemiti  vomita;  e  con  onte 
Liquifatti  macigni,  e  in  fondo  bolle.** 

So  sings  the  Sicilian  muse :  you  will  not  however  he- 
sitate to  give  the  preference  to  the  Roman  one,  although 
the  former  is  evidently  stolen  from  her. 


■Horrificis  juxta  tona  ^tna  ruinis, 


Interdumque  atram  piorumpit  ad  xlhera  nubem. 
Turbine  fumantem  piceo  et  cundente  favilla, 
Attolitque  globos  fl^immarum,  ct  sidera  lambit. 
Interdumque  scopulos,  avosaque  viscera  mentis 
Erigit  eructans,  liquefactaque  saxasub  auras 
Cum  gemitu  glomerat,  fundoque  exsestuat  imo." 

But  both  these  have  been  greatly  outdone  by  the  won* 
dcrful  inniagination  of  our  great  countryman  Sir  Richard 
Blackmore,  who  accounts  at  once  for  the  whole  pheno- 
mena of  -£tna,  by  the  simple  idea  of  giving  the  mountain 
a  fit  of  a  cholic:  a  thought  that  had  escaped  all  the 
poets  and  philosophers  of  antiquity,  and  seems  for  ever 
to  have  been  preserved  for  the  profound  genius  of  this 
great  master  and  father  of  the  Bathos.  I  have  forgot 
the  passage,  but  you  will  find  it,  I  think,  in  Prince 
Arthur. 

The  philosophical  poet,  Lucretius,  has  likewise  men- 
tioned the  eruptions  of  Mount  -/Etna ;  but  Pindar  is  the 
oldest  poet  we  know  of,  that  has  taken  any  notice  of 
them.  His  description  is,  I  think,  the  most  satisfactory 
of  all,  and  conveys  a  clearer  idea,  b&ih  of  the  mountain - 
itself,  and  an  eruption  of  the  mountain,  than  either  the 
Roman  or  Sicilian  poet,  though  it  is  not  near  so  much  la- 
.boured,  nor  worked  up  with  all  that  variety  of  circum- 
stances they  have  found  means  to  introduce.  Its  greatest 
fault  is,  that  Pindar  had  still  kept  in  view  that  absurd- 
idea  of  the  ancients,  that  Jupiter  had  buried  the  giants 
under  Mount  ^tna;  and  that  their  struggling  to  get 
loose  was  the  cause  of  its  eruptions;  but  even  this  he 
touches  but  slightly,  as  if  ashamed  to  give  such  a  reason. 
The  passage  is  translated  iii;o  English  by  Mr.  West. 


1 04  A  Tour  through 

Now  under  smoking  Cuma's  sulphurous  coast 

And  vast  Sicilia,  lies  his  tortured  breast. 
By  snowy  iEtna,  nurse  of  endless  frost, 

The  mighty  prop  of  heaven  for  ever  prest ; 
Forth  from  whose  flaming  caverns  issuing  rise 

Tremendous  fountains  of  pure  liquid  fire, 
Wliich  veil  in  ruddy  mists  the  noon-day  skies. 

While  wrapt  in  smoke  the  eddying  flames  aspire  ; 
Or  gleaming  through  the  night  with  hideous  roar. 

Far  o'er  the  reddening  main  huge  rocky  fragments  pour." 

This  passage  decides  what  has  been  mirch  disputed, 
that  jEtna  was,  in  these  early  ages,  of  as  great  an  eleva- 
tion as  at  present.  It  has  been  alleged,  that  volcanoes 
always  increase  in  height  till  they  are  extinguished,  when 
they  are  supposed  to  moulder  down,  and  by  degrees  sink 
into  the  caverns  that  are  below  them,  like  the  astruni,  and 
the  solfaterra  at  Naples;  however,  we  find  that  jEtna  was 
at  that  time,  as  now,  covered  with  eternal  snows,  and  was 
supposed,  like  Atlas,  to  be  one  of  the  great  props  of  hea- 
ven. But  what  pleases  me  the  most  in  this  description 
is,  that  it  proves  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt,  that 
in  these  very  remote  eruptions,  it  was  common  for  the 
lavas  of  jEtna  to  run  a  great  way  out  to  sea. — The  con- 
clusion, I  think,  is  fully  as  just,  and  perhaps  not  less  sub- 
lime, than  the  "  avolsaque  viscera  montis  erigit  eructans** 
of  Virgil,  which,  I  must  own,  I  think,  rather  comes  too 
near  Richard's  fit  of  cholic. 

Thucydides  speaks  of  three  eruptions  of  this  mountain; 
but  is  not  so  particular  as  we  could  have  wished  H« 
does  not  mention  the  date  of  the  first;  but  says,  it  was  the 
earliest,  after  the  arrival  of  the  Greeks  in  Sicily  The 
'second  happened  about  the  time  of  the  78th  Olympiad, 
and  the  last  in  that  of  the  88ih,  which  was  nearly  about 
the  period  when  Pindar  wrote  ;  so  that  we  cannot  doubt 
that  his  descripiion  is  taken  from  the  accounts  he  had 
heard  of  some  of  those  eruptions ;  the  circumstances  of 
which,  no  doubt,  at  that  time,  had  afforded  matter  of  con- 
versation all  over  Greece. 

I  think  we  may  now  try  to  take  leave  of  JEtna,  though 
I  am  afraid,  during  the  remainder  of  our  expedition,  we 
shall  meet  with  nothing  worthy  to  succeed  it.  We  shall 
sail  from  hence  to-morrow  morning  \  and  expect  to  sleep 
at  Syracuse,  as  it  is  only  about  fifty  miles  distant.  I  shall 
write  to  you  again  from  the  ruins  of  that  celebrated  city, 
larewell.  Ever  yoyrs^ 


Sicily  and  Malta.  105 


t.ETTER  XII. 


Syracuse,  June  1 . 

ON  the  SI  St  of  May,  wc  embarked  on  board  a  feluccaj 
and  set  sail  for  the  mighty  Syracuse— The  wind 
was  favourable,  and  for  some  time  M'e  went  at  a  great 
rate.  The  view  of  Mount  iEina  for  the  whole  of  this 
little  voyaj^e,  is  wonderfully  fine ;  and  the  bold  black 
coast  formed  for  near  thirty  miles,  of  the  lava  of  that  im- 
mense volcano,  gives  the  most  awful  idea  of  its  eruptions. 
There  is  no  part  of  this  coast  nearer  than  thirty  miles  to 
its  summit ;  and  yet  there  has  hardly  been  any  great  erup- 
tion, where  the  lava  has  not  reached  the  sea,  and  driven 
back  its  waters  to  a  great  distance,  leaving  liigh  rocks 
and  promontories,  that  for  ever  set  its  waves  at  defiance, 
and  prescribe  their  utmost  limits.  What  a  tremendous 
scene  must  the  meeting  betwixt  these  adverse  elements 
have  formed  ? 

We  may  easily  conceive  the  variety  of  changes  this 
coast  has  undergone  in  the  space  of  some  thousands  of 
years,  as  every  great  eruption  must  have  made  a  consi- 
derable difference. — Virgil  is  wonderfully  minute  and 
exact  in  his  geography  of  Sicily ;  and  this  is  the  only  part 
of  the  isl?nd  that  seems  to  be  materially  altered  since  his 
time.  He  says  there  was  a  large  port  at  the  fool  of  -Et- 
na, where  ships  were  secure  from  every  wind ; 

"  Portus  ab  accessa  ventorum  immotus  et  ingens  ;" 

of  which,  at  present,  there  are  not  the  least  remains.  It 
is  prob'bly  the  same  that  was  called  by  the  Sicilians  the 
port  of  Ulysses;  which  is  often  mentioned  by  their  wri- 
ters—Phe  place  of  its  existence  is  still  shewn  betwixt 
three  and  four  miles  up  the  country,  amongst  the  lavas 
of  iEtna  However,  I  can  see  no  sort  of  reason  why 
they  have  called  'his  the  port  of  Ulysses  ;  for  surely  Ho- 
mer does  not  bring  his  hero  near  the  precincts  of  Mount 
iEtna.  Indeed,  I  think  it  is  evident,  that  this  volcano  did 
not  burn  during  the  time  of  Homer,  nor  for  some  ages 
preceding  it ;  otherwise  it  is  not  possible,  that  he  >Yowlci 


106  A  Tour  through 

have  said  so  much  of  Sicily,  without  taking  any  notice  of 
so  great  and  capital  an  object,  which,  of  all  others,  the 
daring  and  sublime  imagination  of  Horner  would  have 
been  the  most  eager  to  grasp  at — It  is  evident  from  his 
account,  that  Ulysses  landed  at  the  west  end  of  Sicily,  op- 
posite to  the  island  of  Ldchaea,  now  Favignana,  almost 
two  hundred  miles  distant  from  this  port. 

Virgil  with  more  judgment  lands  his  hero  at  the  foot 
of  jCtna,  which  gives  him  an  opportunity  of  introducing 
some  of  the  finest  descriptions  in  the  ^riiad.  But  it  is 
somewhat  odd,  that  here  he  makes  jEieas  find  one  of 
Ulysses*s  companions^  who  had  escaped  the  rage  of  Poly- 
phemus, and  had  lived  for  several  months  in  the  woods 
and  caverns  of  this  mountain.  Virgil  must  have  been 
aware  of  this  inpropriety,  as  he  well  knew  that  Homer 
had  landed  Ulysses,  and  placed  the  cave  of  Polophemus 
at  the  most  distant  point  of  the  island.  But  he  could  not 
prevail  on  himself  to  pass  Mount  jEtna.  He  was  so  tho- 
roughly convinced,  that  this  was  the  most  proper  landing- 
place  for  an  epic  hero,  as  well  as  the  most  proper  habit- 
ation for  the  Cyclops,  that,  by  a  bold  poetical  licence,  he 
has  fairly  taken  it  for  granted,  that  Homer  really  made  it 
so.  Indeed,  in  this  passage,  the  pleasi^e  he  affords  to 
the  imagination  of  his  reader,  makes  an  ample  amends 
for  his  halving  imposed  on  his  judgment.  But  to  return 
to  our  voyage. 

The  view  of  the  mountain  from  the  sea  is  more  com- 
plete and  satisfactory  than  any  where  on  the  island.  The 
eye  takes  a  greater  portion  of  the  circle,  and  you  observe, 
with  more  distinctness,  bow  it  rises  equally  on  all  sides, 
from  its  immense  base,  overspread  with  the  beautiful 
little  mountains  I  have  mentioned ;  and  at  once  can  trace 
the  progress  of  vegetation  from  its  utmost  luxuriance,  to 
where  it  is  checked  by  the  two  extremes  of  heat  and  cold. 
The  different  regions  of  the  mountain  are  distinctly 
marked  out  by  their  different  colours  and  different  produc- 
tions; exposing  at  once  to  the  ravished  eye  every  cli- 
mate, and  every  season,  with  all  their  variety  ; 

*•  Where  blossoms,  fruits,  and  flowers  together  rise, 
"  And  the  whole  year  in  gay  confusion  lies.'* 

The  first  region  exhibits  every  object  that  characterizes 
summer  and  autumn  j  the  second  those  of  the  most  delight- 


Sicily  and  Malta.  10? 

fUl  spring^;  the  third,  an  eternal  and  unrelenting  "winter  ; 
and  the  fourth,  to  complete  the  contrast,  the  regions  of 
unextinguishable  fire. 

The  circ'.'.mference  of  the  great  base  of  JElna,  Recu- 
pero  told  nr\e,  he  had  been  at  a  great  deal  of  pains  to 
ascertain ;  as  it  had  generally  been  computed  at  only  a 
hundred  miles,  or  little  more,  although  the  radii  of  that 
circle  had  ever  been  esteemed  at  thirty  of  those  miles; 
an  absurdity  in  computation  that  had  put  him  upon  mak- 
ing this  inquiry.  The  result  was,  that  taking  the  sup- 
posed distance  of  one  place  from  another,  all  the  way 
round,  the  sum  of  the  whole  amounted  to  one  hundred 
and  eighty-three  miles — an  immense  circle  surely,  and 
which  is  still  enlarged  by  every  considerable  eruption. 
The  whole  of  this  circle  is  formed  of  lava  and  burnt  mat- 
ter ;  and  I  have  observed,  that  near  the  very  outermost 
borders  of  it,  there  have  been  many  little  eruptions  that 
have  pierced  through  some  of  the  thickest  lavas  of  jEtna. 
The  small  eruptions,  at  so  vast  a  distance  from  the  great 
furnace  of  the  mountain,  are  probably  occasioned  by  the 
intense  heat  of  the  lava,  which  continues  for  many  years 
rarefying  the  air,  in  the  caverns  it  has  run  over,  which, 
bursting  forth  'fi'om  its  prison,  the  lava  sinks  down,  and 
kindling  the  sulphur  and  nitre  with  which  these  caverns 
are  filled,  exhibits  in  miniature  the  phenomena  of  a  great 
eruption. 

There  is  a  large  sandy  beach  that  extends  from  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Simetus,  a  great  way  to  the  south  of 
Catania,  and  was  probably  continued  the  whole  way  to 
the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  Taurominum,  (where  there 
are  still  remains  of  the  east  end  of  ii),  till  it  was  broken 
in  upon  many  thousand  years  ago  by  the  lavas  of  iEtna  ; 
which,  from  a  flat  sandy  shore,  have  now  converted  it 
into  a  high,  bold,  black  iron  coast.  What  is  a  strong 
proof  of  this ; — in  many  places  where  they  have  sunk 
deep  wells,  after  piercing  through  the  lava,  they  have  at 
last  come  to  beds  of  shells  and  sea  sand. 

There  is  nothing  else  very  interesting  in  the  voyage 
from  Catania  to  Syracuse.  If  you  will  read  the  conclu- 
sion of  the  third  bof  k  of  the  iEniad,  you  will  find  a  much 
better  description  of  it  than  any  1  can  give  you.  The 
coast  lies  low,  and,  except  iEtaa,  there  are  no  very  strik- 
ing objects. 


108  A  Tour  through 

We  passed  the  mouths  of  several  rivers :  the  first  and 
most  considerable  is  the  Giaretta,  or  river  of  St.  Paul, 
formerly  the  Simetus,  and  under  that  name  celebrated 
by  the  poets.  The  nymph  Thalia,  after  her  amour  with 
Jupiter,  is  supposed  to  have  been  changed  into  this 
stream  ;  and  to  avoid  the  resentment  of  Juno,  sunk  under 
ground  near  mount  -^ina,  and  continued  her  subterraneous 
course  to  the  sea.  This  river  was  navigable  in  the  lime 
of  the  Romans,  and  Massa  says,  the  only  one  of  the  island 
that  was  so.^^It  takes  its  rise  on  the  north  side  of  ^Etna, 
and  surrounding  the  west  skirts  of  the  mountain,  falls 
into  the  sea  near  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Morgantio.  It 
no  longer  sinks  under  ground,  as  it  did  formerly ;  but 
it  is  now  celebrated  for  a  quality  it  does  not  appear  to 
have  possessed  in  the  times  of  antiquity,  as  none  of  the 
old  writers  take  notice  of  it.  It  throws  up  near  its  ir.outh 
great  quantities  of  fine  amber:  this  is  carefully  gathered 
by  the  peasants  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  brought  to 
Catania,  where  it  is  manufactured  into  the  form  of  crosses, 
beads,  saints,  Sec.  and  is  sold  at  high  prices  to  the  super- 
stitious people  on  the  continent.  We  bought  several  of 
these  respectable  figures,  and  found  them  electrical  in  a 
high  degree  ;  powerfully  attracting  feathers,  straws,  and 
other  light  bodies;  somewhat  emblematical,  you  will 
say,  of  what  they  represent. — Some  pieces  of  this  amber 
contain  flies  and  other  insects  curiously  preserved  in  its 
substance  ;  and  we  were  not  a  little  entertained  with  the 
ingenuity  of  one  of  the  artists,  who  has  left  a  large  blue- 
bottle fly,  with  its  wings  expanded,  exactly  over  the  head 
of  a  saint,  to  represent,  he  told  us,  lo  sfdrito  santo  descend- 
ing upon  him.  I  have  got  some  fine  pieces  of  this  am- 
ber, more  electric,  I  think,  and  emitting  a  stronger  smell 
than  that  which  comes  from  the  Baltic.  The  generation 
of  this  substance  has  long  been  a  controverted  point  a- 
mong  naturalists;  nor  do  1  believe  it  is  as  yet  ascertain- 
ed, whether  it  is  a  sea  or  a  land  production.  It  is  gene- 
rally supposed  to  be  a  kind  of  gum  or  bitumen,  that  issues 
from  the  earth  in  a  liquid  stale,  at  which  time  the  flies 
and  other  insects  that  light  upon  it  are  carght,  and  by 
their  struggles  to  get  loose,  soon  work  thtne selves  into 
its  substances,  which  hardening  round  them,  they  are  for 
ever  preserved  in  the  greatest  perfection.  Large  fine 
pieces  are  constantly  found  at  the  mouih  of  the  Simetus^ 


Sicily  and  Malta,  10§ 

supposed  td  have  been  brought  down  by  the  river ;  but  it 
is  singular,  that  none  of  it  is  ever  found  any  where  but 
on  the  sea-shore  :  they  have  here  likewise  a  kind  of  arti- 
ficial amber,  made,  I  am  told,  fiom  copal ;  but  it  is  very 
different  from  the  natural. 

Not  far  from  the  mouth  of  this  river  there  are  two  of 
the  largest  lakes  in  Sicily ;  the  Beviere,  and  the  Pantana  ; 
the  first  of  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  n.ade  b)  Her- 
cules; in  consequence  of  which  it  was  held  sacred  by 
the  ancients.  They  are  full  of  a  variety  of  fish  ;  one  spe- 
cies of  which,  called  Mollelti,  is  much  esteemed  ;  the 
sahing  and  exportation  of  these  makes  a  considerable 
branch  of  their  commerce  at  Leontini,  which  is  m  that 
neighbourhood  ;  that  city  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  in  the 
island,  and  it  supposed  to  have  been  the  Ijbibitation  of  the 
Lestrigons. 

The  Leontine  fields  have  been  much  famed  for  their 
fertility  :  Both  Diodorus  and  Pliny  assert  that  they  yield- 
ed wheat  an  hundred  fold,  and  that  grain  grew  spontane- 
ously here  without  culture  :  But  this  was  only  during  the 
reign  of  Ceres,  and  is  not  now  the  case. 

In  a  few  hours  sailing  we  came  in  sight  of  the  city  of 
Augusta,  which  is  beautifully  situated  in  a  small  islund 
that  was  formerly  a  peninsula:  It  was  therefore  called  by 
the  Greeks  Chersonesus.  Both  the  ciiy  and  the  fortifica- 
tions seem  considerable,  and  are  said  to  contain  about 
nine  thousand  inhabitants.  The  ruins  of  the  Little  Hy- 
bla,  so  celebrated  for  its  honey,  lie  within  a  few  miles  of 
this  place. 

Some  time  before  our  arrival  at  Syracuse,  it  fell  a  dead 
calm,  and  we  spied  a  fine  turtle  fast  asleep  on  the  surface 
of  the  water.  Our  pilot  oidered  a  profound  silence,  and 
only  two  oars  to  row  very  gently,  that  if  possible  wfr 
might  surprise  him. — Every  thing  was  put  in  order,  and 
two  men  were  placed  ready  at  the  prow  to  secure  the 
prize. — We  were  all  attention  and  expectation,  and  durst 
hardly  breathe  for  fear  of  disturbing  him. 

We  moved  slowly  on,  and  the  turtle  lay  stone  still : 
the  two  men  bent  down  their  bodies,  and  had  their  arrriS 
already  in  the  water  to  seize  him. — No  alderman,  with 
all  deference  be  it  spoken,  ever  beheld  his  turtle  upon 
the  table  with  more  pleasure  and  security,  nor  feasted 
his  iniagination  more  lusciously  upon  the  banquet.— He 


110  A  Tour  through 

t 
was  already  our  own  in  idea,  and  we  were  only  thinking 
of  the  various  ways  in  which  he  should  be  dressed ; — 
When — how  vain  and  transitory  are  all  human  posses- 
sions! the  turtle  made  a  plunge,  slipped  through  their 
fingers,  and  disappeared  in  a  moment,  and  with  him  all 
our  hopes.  We  looked  very  foolish  at  each  other,  with- 
out uttering  a  word,  till  FuUarton  asked  me,  in  the  most 
provoking  manner,  whether  I  would  choose  a  little  of  the 
callipash  or  the  callipee.  The  two  men  shrugged  up 
their  shoulders,  and  said  Pazienza;  but  Glover  told  them 
in  a  rage,  that  all  the  pazienza  on  earth  was  not  equal 
to  a  good  turtle. 

Soon  after  this,  the  remains  of  the  great  Syracuse  ap- 
peared: the  remembrance  of  whose  glory,  magnificence, 
and  illustrious  deeds  both  in  arts  and  arms,  made  us  for 
some  time  even  forget  our  turtle.  But,  alas !  how  are 
the  mighty  fallen !  This  proud  city,  that  vied  with  Rome 
itself,  is  now  reduced  to  a  heap  of  rubbish  ;  for  what  re- 
mains of  it  deserves  not  the  nanie  of  a  city.  We  rowed 
round  the  greatest  part  of  its  walls  without  seeing  a  hu- 
man creature ;  those  very  walls  that  were  the  terror  of 
the  Roman  arms ;  from  whence  Archimedes  battered 
their  fleets,  and  with  his  engines  lifted  their  vessels  out 
of  the  sea,  and  dashed  them  against  the  rocks.  We 
found  the  interior  part  of  the  city  agree  but  too  well  witlv 
its  external  appearance.  There  was  not  an  inn  to  be 
found  ;  and  after  visiting  all  the  monasteries  and  religious 
fraternities  in  search  of  beds,  we  found  the  whole  of  them 
so  wretchedly  mean  and  diriy,  that  we  preferred  at  last 
to  sleep  on  straw  ;  but  even  that  we  could  not  have  clean, 
but  were  eaten  up  with  vermin  of  every  kind. 

We  had  letters  for  the  Count  Gaetano,  who  made  an 
apology  that  he  could  not  lodge  us,  but  in  other  respects 
shewed  us  many  civilities;  p'»rucularly  in  giving  us  the 
use  of  his  carriage,  in  eKplaining  the  ruins,  in  pointing 
out  every  thing  that  was  worthy  of  our  attention;  and 
likewise  in  giving  us  letters  of  recomnicndation  for  M  dta. 
He  is  a  gentleman  of  good  sense,  and  has  written  several 
treatises  on  the  antiquities  of  Sicily. 

Of  the  four  citi^js  that  composed  the  ancient  Syracuse, 
there  remains  only  Ortigia,  by  much  the  smallest,  situa- 
ted in  the  island  of  that  name.  It  is  about  two  njiles 
round,  and  is  supposed  to  contain  about  fourteen  thousand 


Sicily  and  Malia.  Ill 

inhabftants.  The  ruins  of  the  other  three,  Tycha,  Achra- 
dina,  and  Neapoliy  are  computed  at  twenty-two  miles  in 
circumference,  but  almost  the  whole  of  this  space  is  now 
converted  into  rich  vineyards,  orchards,  and  corn-fields; 
the  walls  of  these  are  indeed  every  where  built  with 
broken  marble  full  of  engravings  and  inscriptions,  but 
most  of  them  defaced  and  spoiled.  The  principal  re- 
mains of  antiquity  are  a  theatre  and  amphitheatre ;  many 
sepulchres,  the  Latomie,  the  Catacombs,  and  the  ear  of 
Dionysius,  which  it  was  impossible  to  destroy  — The 
Latomie  now  makes  a  "noble  subterraneous  garden,  and  is 
indeed  one  of  ihe  most  beautiful  and  romantic  spots  I  ever 
beheld.  Most  of  it  is  about  one  hundred  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  earth,  and  of  an  incredible  extent  The  whole 
is  hewn  out  of  a  rock  as  hard  as  marble,  composed  of  a 
concretion  of  shells,  gravel,  and  other  marine  bodies  — 
The  bottom  of  this  immense  quarry,  from  whence  pro- 
bably the  greatest  part  of  Syracuse  was  built,  is  now  co- 
vered with  an  exceeding  rich  soil ;  and  as  no  wind  from 
any  point  of  the  compiss  can  touch  it,  it  is  filled  with  a 
great  variety  of  the  finest  shrubs  and  fruit-trees,  which 
bear  with  vast  luxuriance,  and  are  never  blasted.  The 
oranges,  citrons,  bergamots,  pomegranates,  figs,  &c.  are 
all  of  a  remarkable  size  and  fine  quality.  Some  of  these 
trees,  but  more  particularly  the  olive,  grows  out  of  the 
hard  rock :  where  there  is  no  visible  soil :  and  exhibit  a 
very  uncommon  and  pleasing  appearance. 

There  is  a  variety  of  wild  and  romantic  scenes  in  this 
curious  garden;  in  the  midst  of  which  we  were  surprised 
by  the  appearance  of  a  figure  under  one  of  the  caverns, 
that  added  greatly  to  the  dignity  and  solemnity  of  the 
place. — It  was  that  of  an  aged  man,  with  a  long  flowing 
•white  beard  that  reached  down  to  his  middle.  His  old 
wrinkled  face  and  scanty  grey  locks  pronounced  him  a 
member  of  some  former  age  as  well  as  of  this.  His 
hands,  which  were  shook  by  the  palsy,  held  a  sort  of  pil- 
grim's staff;  and  about  his  neck  there  was  a  string  of 
large  beads,  with  a  crucifix  hanging  to  its  end. — Had  it 
not  been  for  these  marks  of  his  later  existence,  I  don't 
know  but  I  should  have  asked  him,  whether,  in  his  youth, 
he  had  not  been  acquainted  with  Theocritus  and  Archi- 
medes, and  if  he  did  not  remember  the  reign  of  Diony- 
sius the  tyrant.     But  he  saved  us  t«ie  trouble,  by  telling 


11*?.  A  Tour  through 


^ 


us  he  was  the  hermit  of  the  place,  and  belonged  to  a  ^o»- 
vent  of  Capuchins  on  the  rock  above  ;  that  he  had  now 
bid  adieu  to  the  upper  world,  and  was  determined  to 
ipend  the  rest  of  his  life  in  this  solitude,  in  prayer  for 
Irhe  wretched  mortals  that  inhabit  it. 

This  figure,  together  with  the  scene  in  which  it  ap- 
pears, are  indeed  admirably  well  adapted,  and  reflect  a 
iTuilual  dignity  upon  each  other.  We  left  some  money, 
on  the  rock; — For  the  Capuchins,  who  are  the  greattst 
beggars  on  earth,  never  touch  ntoncy,  but  save  iheir  too 
tender  consciences,  and  preserve  t^.eir  vows  unbroken,  by 
bhe  simple  device  of  lifting  it  with  a  pair  of  pincers,  and 
carrying  it  to  the  market  in  their  sack  or  cowl.  This  I 
have  seen  more  than.  once. — We  were  much  delighted 
with  the  Lutomie,  and  left  it  with  regret :  It  is  the  very 
same  that  has  been  so  much  celebrated  by  Cicero  about 
eighteen  hundred  years  ago  :  *'  Opus  est  ingens  (he  sajs) 
niagnificum  regum,  ac  tyrannorum.  Tolum  ex  saxo  in 
mirandam  altitudinem  depresso,'*  &c.  A  little  to  the 
west  of  it  is  supposed  to  have  stood  ihe  country-house,  the 
sale  of  which  you  still  remember  he  gives  so  lively  and 
pleasant  an  account  of;  by  which  a  goldsmith  (1  have 
forgot  his  n.ime)  cheated  a  Roman  nobleman  in  a  very 
ingenious  manner. 

The  ear  of  Dionysius  is  no  less  a  monument  of  the  in- 
genuity and  magnificence,  than  of  the  cruelty  of  that 
tyrant.  It  is  a  huge  cavern  cut  out  of  the  hird  rock,  in 
the  form  of  the  hutnan  ear.  The  perpvUtiiouUr  height 
of  it  is  about  eighty  feet,  and  the  length  ((f  this  enormous 
ear  is  not  less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty.  The  cavern 
was  sv-id  lo  bi^  contrived  so,  that  every  sound  n  ade  in  it, 
was  collected  and  united  into  one  pom^,  as  into  a  f'^cus  ; 
this  was  called  the  Tympanum  ;  and  exactly  opposite  to 
it  the  tyrant  has  made  a  small  hole,  which  communiciited 
with  a  little  apartmicnt  where  he  used  to  conceal^imself. 
He  applied  his  own  ear  to  this  hole,  and  is  said  to  have 
heard  distinctly  every  word  that  was  spoken  in  the  cavern 
b'low.  This  apartment  was  no  sooner  fi-nished,  and  a 
proof  of  it  made,  than  he  put  to  deuth  all  the  workmen 
ih  t  had  been  employed  in  it.  He  then  confined  all  that 
he  suspected  were  his  enemies  .  and,  by  overhearing  their 
coi  versation,  judged  of  their  guilt,  and  condemned  and 
acquitted  accordingly. 


Skitij  and  Malta.  113 

As  this  chamber  of  Dionysius  is  very  high  in  the  rock^ 
and  now  totally  inaccessible,  we  had  it  not  in  our  power 
to  make  proof  of  this  curious  experiment,  vvhicji  our 
guides  told  us  haa  been  done  some  years  ago  by  the  cap- 
tain of  an  English  ship.  - 

The  echo  in  the  ear  is  prodigious  ;  much  superior  to 
any  other  cavern  I  have  seen.  The  holes  in  the  rock, 
to  which  the  pisoners  were  chained,  siill  remain,  and 
even  the  lead  and  iron  in  several  of  them.  We  surprised 
a  poor  young  porcupine,  who  had  come  here  to  drink, 
of  whom  our  guides  made  a  lawful  prize. — Near  to  this 
are  caverns  of  a  great  extent,  where  they  carry  on  a  ma- 
nufactory of  nitre,  which  is  found  in  vast  abundance  on 
the  sides  of  these  caves. 

The  amphitheatre  is  in  the  form  of  a  very  eccentric 
ellipse,  and  is  much  ruined ;  but  the  theatre  is  so  entire, 
that  most  of  the  gradini  or  seats  still  remain.  Both  these 
are  in  that  part  of  the  city  that  was  called  Neapoli,  or  the 
New  City.  "  Quarta  autem  est  urbs  (says  Cicero)  quae 
quia  postrema  gedificata  est,  Neapolis  nominatur,  quam 
ad  summam  theatrum  est  maxim.um,"  8cc.  However, 
it  is  but  a  small  theatre  in  comparison  of  that  of  Tauro- 
minum.  We  searched  amongst  the  sepulchres,  several 
of  which  are  very  elegant,  for  that  of  Archimedes;  but 
could  see  nothing  resembling  it. — At  his  own  desire  it 
was  adorned  with  the  figure  of  a  sphere  inscribed  in  a 
cylinder,  but  hod  been  lost  by  his  ungrateful  countrym.en, 
even  bf  fore  the  time  that  Cicero  was  questor  of  Sicily, 
It  is  pleasant  to  observe  with  what  eagerness  this  great 
man  undertakes  the  search  of  it,  and  with  what  exulta- 
tion he  describes  his  triumph  on  the  discovery.  "  Ego 
autem  cum  omnia  collustrarcm  oculis  (est  enim  adportas 
Agragianas  magna  frequentia  sepulchrorum.)  animadvert! 
columnellam  non  multura  e  dumis  eminentem,  in  qua 
inerat  sphsers  figura  et  cylindri.  Atque  ego  statim  Sy- 
racusaKiis  (erant  autem  principes  mecum)  rlixi,  me  illud 
ipsum  arbitrari  esse  quod  qusererem.  Immissi  cum  ful- 
cibus  multi  purgarunt,  et  aperuerunt  locum :  quo  cum 
patefactus  esset  additus  ad  advers^m  basim  acressimus; 
apparebat  epigramma  exesis  posteiioribus  partibus  versi- 
culorum  dimidiatis  fere  :  Ita  nobilissiuia  Graecis  civitas? 
quondam  vero  eliam  doctissiraa  sui  civis  uiiius  acuiissi* 
L2 


vl  Tour  through 


ki  monumcntum  ignorasset,  nifci  ab  homiiie  Arpiiiate 

lidicisset,"  Sec. 

The  Catacombs  are  a  pjreat  work  ;  little  inferior  either 

^to  those  of  Rome  or  Naples,  and  in  the  same  style. — 

fThere  are  many  remains  of  temples.  The  Duke  of  Mont- 

lialbano,  who  has  written  on  the  antiquities  of  Syracuse, 

'eckons  near  twenty ;    but  there  is  hardly  any  of  these 

^Hhat  are  now  distinguishable.     A  few  fine   columns  of 

that  of  Jupiter  Olympius,  still  remain  ;  and  the  temple 

•f  Minerva  (now  converted  into  the  cathedral  of  the  city, 

tmd  dedicated  to  the  Virgin)   is   almost  entire.     They 

*have  lately  built  a  new  facade  to  it;  but  I  am  afraid  ihey 

have  not  improved  on  the  simplicity  of  the  antique.     It 

,b  full  of  broken  pedimentS:  and  I  think  in  a  bad  style. 

Ortigia,  the  only  remaining  part  of  Syracuse,  was  an- 
.jciently  an  island;  it  is  often  denominated  such  by  Virgil, 
fCicero,  and  many  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  historians. — 
'In  later  ages,  and  probably  by  the  ruins  of  this  mighty 
:ity,  the  strait  that  separated  it  from  the  continent  was 
ifiUtd  up  ;  and  it  had  now  been  a  peninsula  for  many  ages; 
-till  the  present  king  of  Spain,  at  a  vast  exptnce,  cut 
.through  the  neck  of  laiid  that  joined  it  to  Sicily,  and  has 
J:2igain  reduced  it  to  its  primitive  state. 

Here  he  has  raised  a  noble  fortification,  which  appears 
'to  be  almost  impregnable.     There  are  four  strong  gates, 
I'one  within  the  other,  with  each  a  glacis,  covered  way, 
scarp  and  counterscarp,  and  a  broad  deep  ditch  filled  wiih 
ssa-water,  and  defended  by  an  immense  number  of — em- 
brasures ; — Wut  not  so  niuch  as  one  single  piece  of  artil- 
lery.    This  you  will,  no  doubt,  think  ridiculous  enough, 
Aiwt  the  ridicule  is  still  heightened,  when  I  assure  you 
^ihere  is  not  a  cannon  of  any  kind  belonging  to  this  noble 
rfartress,  but  one  small  btttery  of  six-pounders  for  saluting 
'ships  that  go  in  and  out  of  the  port.     If  you  ^re  at  a  loss 
f  to  account  for  this,  you  will  please  remember  that  it  is  a 
:^vork  of  the  king  of  Spain.     However,  the  ditches  are 
very  useful ;  Ihey  are  perpetually  covered  with  fishing- 
boats  ;  and   they  can  use  their  nets  and  lines  here  vith 
the  greatest  success,  even  in  the  most  stormy  weather  ; 
though  I  dare  say  this  was  none  of  the  motives  that  in- 
duced his  majesty  to  make  them.     The  nobility  of  the 
^lace  have  likewise  barges  here  for  their  amusement. 
As  the  celebrated  fountuin  of  Arethusa  has  ever  beeir 


Sicily  and  Malta.  1 15 

looked  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  of  Syra- 
cuse, you  may  believe  we  were  not  a  little  impatient  16 
examine  it :  And  indeed  only  by  observing  Cicero's  ac- 
count of  it*,  we  soon  found  it  r>ut  — It  still  exisclly  an- 
swers the  description  he  gives,  except  with  regard  to  the 
great  quantities  of  fish  it  contained,  which  seem  now  to 
have  abandoned  it.. 

The  fountain  of  Areihusa  was  dedicated  to  Diana,  who 
had  a  magnificent  temple  ntay  it,  where  great  festivals 
•were  annually  celebrated  in  honour  of  the  goddess  \\  e 
found  a  number  of  nymphs,  up  to  the  knees  in  the  foun- 
tain, busy  washing  their  garments,  and  we  dreaded  the 
fate  of  Acteon  and  Alpbeus  ;  but  if  these  were  of  Diana's 
train,  th^y  are  by  no  means  so  coy  as  thty  were  of  old; 
and  a  man  would  hardly  choose  to  lun  the  risk  oi  being 
changed  either  into  a  stag  or  a  river  for  the  best  of  them. 

It  is  indeed  an  astonishing  fountain  ;  and  rises  a't  once 
out  of  the  earth,  to  the  size  of  a  river. — The  poetical 
fictions  concerning  it  are  too  well  known  to  require  that 
I  should  enumerate  them.  Many  of  the  people  here  be- 
lieve to  this  day,  that  it  is  the  identical  river  Arethusa, 
that  sinks  under  ground  near  Olympia  in  Greece,  and 
€(  ntinuing  its  course  for  five  or  six  hundred  miles  below 
the  ocean  rises  again  in  this  spot. 

It  is  truly  astonishing  that  such  a  story  as  this  should 
have  gained  such  credit  among  the  ancients,  for  ii  is  not 
only  their  poets,  but  natural  historians  and  philosophers 
too,  that  lake  notice  of  it.  Piiny  mentions  it  more  than 
once  ;  and  there  are  few  or  none  of  the  Latin  poets  that 
it  has  escaped 

This  strange  belief  has  been  communicated  to  the  Sici- 
lian authors,  and,  what  is  amazing,  there  is  hardly  any  of 
them  that  doubts  it. — Poniponius  Mella,  Pausunius,  Mas- 
sa,  and  F:izztllo,  are  all  of  the  same  sentiments;  to  sup- 
port which  they  tell  you  the  old  story  cf  the  golden  cup 
won  at  the  Olympic  games,  which  was  thrown  into  the 
Grecian  Arethusa,  and  was  soon  after  cast  up  again  by 
the  Sicilian  one. 


*  In  hac  insula  eritrern^est  fons  aquae  duicis,  cui  nomen  Are* 
thusa  est,  incrcdibili  rnagnitudiiie  plenissimus  piscium,  qui  fiuc- 
tu  totus  operiretur,  nisi  munitione,  ac  mole  Iftpklum  a  mari  dis- 
jjinctus  esset,  &c-    Cic-. 


11 6'  A  Tour  through 

They  likewise  add,  that  it  had  always  been  observed 
that  after  the  great  sacrihces  at  Olympia,  the  blood  of 
which  fell  into  that  river,  the  waters  of  Arethusa  rose  for 
several  days  tinged  with  blood. 

This,  like  many  modern  miracles,  was  probably  a  trick 
of  the  priests  — Those  of  Diana  had  the  charge  of  the 
fountain  of  Arethusa,  and  no  doubt  were  much  interested 
to  support  the  credit  of  the  story  ;  for  it  was  that  goddess 
that  converted  the  nymph  Arethusa  into  a  river,  and  con- 
ducted her  by  subterraneous  passages  from  Greece  to 
Sicily,  to  avoid  the  pursuit  of  Alpheus,  who  underwent 
the  same  fate. 

At  a  little  distance  from  the  fountain  of  Arethusa, 
there  is  a  very  large  spring  of  fresh  water,  that  t)oils  up 
in  the  sea.  It  is  called  Otchi  di  Zilica,  and  by  some  Al- 
pheus, who  is  supposed  by  the  poets  to  have  pursued 
Arethusa  btlow  the  sea  all  the  way  to  Sicily. 

As  this  spring  is  not  taken  notice  of  by  any  of  the  great 
number  of  the  ancients  that  speak  of  Arethusa,  it  is  most 
probable  that  it  did  not  then  exist;  and  is  a  part  of  that 
fountain  that  has  since  burst  out  before  its  arrival  at  the 
island  of  Oriigia.  Had  it  been  visible  in  the  time  of  the 
Greeks,  there  is  no  doubt  that  ihey  would  have  made  uso 
of  this  as  a  strong  argument  to  prove  the  submarine  jour- 
ney of  Arethusa  ;  as  it  in  fact  rises  at  some  distance  in 
\he  sea,  and  pretty  much  in  the  same  direction  that 
Greece  lies  from  Ortigia.  It  sometimes  boils  up  so 
strong,  that  after  piercing  the  salt  water,  1  am  told  it  can 
be  taken  up  very  little  affected  by  it. 

Syracuse  has  two  harbours ;  the  largest  of  which,  on 
the  south-west  side  of  Oriigia,  is  reckoned  six  miles 
round,  and  was  esteemed  one  of  the  best  in  the  Mediter- 
ranean It  is  ScJid  by  Diodorus  to  have  run  almost  into 
the  heart  of  the  city,  and  was  called  Marmoreo,  because 
entirely  surrounded  with  buildings  of  marble  ;  the  entry 
into  this  harbour  was  strongly  fortified,  and  the  Roman 
fleets  could  never  penetrate  it. 

The  small  port  is  on  the  north-east  of  Ortigia,  and  is 
likewise  recorded  to  have  been  highly  ornamenied.  Faz- 
zellosays,  there  is  siill  the  remains  of  a  submarine  aque- 
duct, that  runs  through  the  middle  of  it,  which  was  in- 
tended to  convey  the  water  from  the  fountain  ol  Arethusa- 
to  the  other  pans  of  the  city. 


Sicily  and  Malta  115* 

Kear  this  port,  ihey  show  the  spot  where  Archime- 
des* house  blood  ;  and  likewise  the  tower  from  whence  he 
is  said  to  have  set  fire  lo  tlic  Roman  galleys  with  hij>  burn- 
ing ghissts:  a  story  w^ich  is  related  by  stveial  authors, 
but  which  is  now  almOst  universally  exploded,  from  the 
ditlicuity  to  conctivc  a  burning  glass,  or  a  concave  specu- 
lun  ,  with  a  ft^cus  of  such  an  inmiCnse  krgih  as  this  must 
huvtf  required. 

However,  I  should  be  apt  to  imagine  if  this  be  not  en- 
tirely a  fiction,  (of  which  there  is  some  probability),  that 
it  was  n^ilh6r  pt- rf  rmed  by  refracting  burning  glasses, 
nor  speculuii.s,  but  only  by  meuns  of  common  looking- 
glasses,  or  very  clear  plates  of  m.etal  Indeed,  from  the 
situation  of  the  place  it  must  have  been  dont  by  reflec- 
tion ;  for  Archinr.f  do.'  lower  stood  on  the  north  of  the 
little  pert  where-  the  Romnn  fieet  are  said  to  have  bees 
mooicd  ;  so  that  their  vessels  h»y  in  a  right  line  betwixt 
him  and  the  sun  at  ricon  ;  and  at  a  veiy  small  distance 
from  the  w.d!  r  f  the  city  where  this  tower  stood  But  if 
you  v.ill  suppose  this  to  have  been  performed  by  com- 
mon bujJiir^-  ghvssep,  or  by  those  of  the  parabolical  kind, 
ir  will  b"  n  •<  essary  to  raise  a  tower  of  a  most  enormous 
height  on  th*"  island  cf  Ortigia,  in  order  to  interpose  these 
glasses  betwixt  the  sun  :ind  the  Roman  galleys;  and  even 
this  could  nnt  hiwe  been  done  till  late  in  the  afternoon, 
when  his  rays  are  exceedingly  weak.  Bui  I  have  very 
little  douba  that  common  lookir.g-gl;.sses  would  be  found 
all-sufficient  to  peifcrni  the^e  tffccts. 

L(  t  us  suppose  that  a  thousand  of  these  were  made  to 
reflect  the  rays  to  the  same  point ;  the  heat,  in  all  proba- 
bility, must  be  increased  to  a  greater  dt  gree  Jhati  in  the 
focus  of  most  burning-glasses;  and  abundantly  capable 
of  setting  fi;"e  lo  eveTy  combustible  substance  — This  ex- 
peiiment  n^ight  be  easily  made  by  means  of  a  batlalicn 
of  men-  arn.ing  each  with  a  looking  glass  instead  of  a 
firelock  :  and  setting  up  a  board  at  two  or  three  hundred 
yards  dist  nee  from  them  to  fire  at.  I  suppose  it  would 
take  a  considenible  time  beff  re  they  were  expert  at  this 
exercise;  but  by  practice,  I  have  no  doubt  that' they 
might  all  be  brought  to  bit  the  niark  instantaneously  at 
the  word  of  command  ;  like  the  lark-catchers  in  some 
countries,  who  are  so  dexterous  at  this  manoeuvre,  that 
with  a  small  mirror  they  throw  the  rays  of  light  on  the 


lid  A  Tour  through 

lark,  let  her  be  never  so  high  in  the  air ;  which,  by  a 
kind  of  fascination,  brings  down  the  poor  animal  to  the 
snare. 

You  may  laugh  at  all  this ;  but  I  don't  think  it  is  im- 
possible that  a  looking-glass  may  one  day  be  thought  as 
necessary  an  implement  for  a  soldier  as  at  present  it  is 
for  a  beau.  I  am  very  apprehensive  the  French  will  get 
the  start  of  us  in  this  signal  inveiition ;  as  I  have  been 
assured  long  ago,  that  few  of  their  men  ever  go  to  the 
field,  without  first  providing  themselves  with  one  of 
these  little  warlike  engines,  the  true  use  of  which,  hap- 
pily for  us,  they  are  as  yet  unacquainted  with.  You  will 
easily  perceive,  that  if  this  experiment  succeeds,  it  must 
alter  the  whole  system  of  fortification  as  well  as  of  at- 
tack and  defence;  for  every  part  of  the  city  that  is  expos- 
ed to  the  view  of  the  besiegers,  may  be  easily  set  in  a 
flame ;  and  the  bef^ieged  would  have  the  same  advantage 
over  the  camp  of  the  besieged  army*. 

Wa  are  alrea^ly  completely  tired  of  Syracuse,  which, 
of  all  the  wretched  places  we  have  yet  met  with,  is  by 
many  degrees  the  most  wretched  :  For  besides  that  its 
inhabitants  are  so  extremely  poor  and  beggarly,  many 
of  them  are  so  overrun  with  the  itch,  that  we  are  under 
perpetual  apprehensions,  and  begin  to  be  extremely  well 
satisfif'-d  that  we  could  not  procure  beds.  It  is  truly  ma- 
lancholy  to  think  of  the  dismal  contrast  that  its  former 
magnificence  makes  with  its  present  meanness.  The 
mighty  Syracuse,  the  most  opulent  and  powerful  of  all 
the  Grecian  cities,  which,  by  its  own  proper  strength 
alone,  was  able,  at  different  times,  to  contend  against  all 
the  power  of  Carthage  and  Rome. — Which  is  recorded 
(what  the  force  of  united  nations  is  now  incapable  of)  to 
have  repulsed  fleets  of  two  thousand  sail,  and  armies  of 
two  hundred  thousand  men;  and  contained  within  its  own 
walh  what  no  city  ever  did  before  or  since,  fleets  and 


*  Since  the  writing-  of  these  letters,  the  author  has  been  in- 
formed that  Mr.  Bafton  actually  made  this  experiment. — He  con- 
structed a  kind  of  frame,  in  which  were  fixed  four  hundred 
small  mirrors,  disposed  in  such  a  manner,  that  tlie  rays  reflected 
firom  each  of  them  fell  exactly  on  the  same  point.  By  means  of 
this  he  melted  lead  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
&et,  and  set  fire  to  a  hay-stack  at  a  mirch  greater  distance. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  119 

armies  that  were  the  terror  of  the  world : — This  haughty 
and  magnificent  city,  reduced  even  below  the  conse- 
quence of  the  most  insignificant  burgh  : — "  Sic  transit 
gloria  mundi." — I  have  not  been  able  to  procure  a  table 
to  write  upon,  but  by  way  of  succedaneun',  am  obliged  to 
lay  a  form  over  the  backs  of  two  chairs. — We  have  got 
into  the  most  wretched  hovel  you  can  conceive,  and  the 
most  dirty  ;  but  what  is  still  worst  of  all,  we  can  find  no- 
thing to  eat ;  and  if  we  had  not  brought  some  cold  fowls 
along  with  us,  we  might  have  starved. 

The  heat  has  been  considerably  greater  here  than  at 
Catania.  The  thermometer  is  just  now  at  78  — There 
is  an  old  remark  made  on  the  climate  of  this  place  by 
some  of  the  ancients;  which  is  still  said  to  hold  good  : 
That  at  no  season  the  sun  has  ever  been  invisible  during 
a  whole  day  at  Syracuse.  I  find  it  mentioned  by  several 
Sicilian  authors,  but  shall  not  vouch  for  the  truth  of  it  — . 
Adieu — My  next  will  probably  be  from  Malta;  for  we 
shall  sail  to-morrow,  if  it  be  possible  to  procure  a  vessel.. 

Ever  yours. 


LETTER  Xm. 


Cafio  Passeroy  June  3. 

AS  we  found  the  mighty  city  of  Syracuse  so  reduced, 
that  is  could  not  i.fford  beds  and  lodging  to  three 
weary  travellers,  we  agreed  to  abridge  our  stay  in  it ; 
and  accordingty  hired  a  Maltese  Sparoni  ro  to  carry  us 
to  that  islands  This  is  a  small  six-oared  boat,  made  en- 
tirely for  speed,  to  avoid  the  African  pirates,  and  other 
Barbaresque  vessels,  with  which  these  seas  are  infeited  ; 
but  so  flat  and  so  narrow,  that  they  are  not  able  to  bear 
any  sea,  and  of  consequence  keep  always  as  near  the 
coast  as  possible. 

On  the  2d  of  June,  by  day-break,  we  left  the  Mar- 
moreo  or  great  port  of  Syracuse  ;  and  although  the  wind 
was  exastly  contrary,  and  pretty  strong,  by  the  force 
of  their  oars,  which  they  manage  with  great  dexterity^ 


130  J  Totir  throiio/i 


^' 


we  got  on  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour.  They  d© 
not  pull  their  oars  as  we  do,  but  push  them  like  the  Ve- 
netian Gondoliers  ;  always  fronting  the  bow  of  the  boat, 
and  seldom  or  never  sit  clown  when  ihey  row  ;  allowing 
the  whole  weight  of  their  bodies  to  be  exerted  every 
stroke  of  the  oar.  This  gives  a  prodigious  momentum, 
and  is  certainly  much  more  forcible  than  a  simple  exer- 
tion of  the  muscles  of  the  arm. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  wind  became  favourable,  when 
we  went  indeed  at  an  immense  rate.  At  twelve  it  blew 
a  hurricane,  and  with  some  difficulty  we  got  under  shore, 
but  the  wind  was  so  exceedingly  violent,  that  even  there 
we  hdd  like  to  have  been  overset,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  run  aground  to  save  us  from  that  disaster.  Here  we 
were  a  good  deal  annoyed  by  the  sand  carried  about  by 
the  wind  ;  however,  the  hurricane  was  soon  over,  and  we 
again  put  to  sea  with  a  favourable  gale,  which  in  a  few 
hours  carried  us  to  Capo  Passaro. 

In  this  little  storm  we  were  a  good  deal  amused  with 
the  behaviour  of  our  Sicilian  servant,  who  at  land  is  a 
fellow  of  undaunted  courage,  of  which  we  have  had  many 
proofs  ;  but  here  (I  don't  know  why)  it  entirely  forsook 
liirn,  although  there  was  in  fact  no  real  danger,  for  we 
never  were  more  than  100  yards  from  the  shore.  He 
gave  himself  up  to  despair,  and  called  upon  all  his  saints 
for  protection:  and  never  again  recovered  his  con- 
fidence all  the  rest  of  this  little  voyage  ;  perpetually 
wishing  himself  back  to  Naples,  and  swearing  that  no 
earthly  temptation  should  ever  induce  him  to  go  to  sea 
again.  The  same  fellow  but  a  few  days  ago,  n.ounted  a 
most  vicious  horse,  and  without  the  least  fe^r  or  concern, 
gallopped  along  the  side  of  a  precipice,  where  every  mo- 
men  we  expected  to  see  him  dashed  to  pieces ;  so  singu- 
lar and  various  are  the  different  modes  of  fear  and  of 
courage. 

Capo  Passero,  anciently  called  Pachinus,  is  the  re- 
motest and  most  southerly  point  of  Sicily.  It  is  not  a 
peninsula,  as  represented  in  all  the  maps,  hut  a  wretched 
barren  island,  of  about  a  mile  rourd;  with  a  fort  and  a 
small  garrison  to  protect  the  neighbouring  country  from 
the  incursions  of  the  Barbary  corsairs,  who  are  often  very 
troublesome  on  this  part  of  the  coast.  This  little  island 
and  fort  lie  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant  from  the  small 


Sicilij  and  Malta.  1:21 

creek  of  which  we  have  taken  possession,  and  arc  sepa- 
rated from  the  rest  of  Sicily  by  a  strait  of  about  half  a  mile 
broad. 

Our  pilot  told  us  tliat  we  must  not  think  of  Malta, 
which  is  almost  an  hundred  miles  oif.  till  there  were  more 
settled  appearances  of  good  weather. 

As  there  is  no  habitation  here  of  any  kind,  we  searched 
about,  till  at  last  we  found  a  small  cavern,  where  we 
made  a  very  comfortable  dinner.  We  then  sallied  forth 
to  examine  the  fuce  of  the  country,  as  well  as  to  try  if  we 
could  shoot  something  for  our  supper.  We  found  that 
we  had  now  got  into  a  very  different  world  from  any 
thing  we  had  yet  seen.  The  country  here  is  exceedingly 
barren,  and  to  a  considerable  distance  produces  neither 
corn  nor  wine :  but  the  fields  are  adorned  with  an  infinite 
variety  of  flowers  and  of  flowering  shrubs,  and  the  rocks 
are  every  where  entirely  covered  with  capers,  which  are 
just  now  fit  for  gathering.  If  we  had  vinegar,  we  could 
soon  have  pickled  hogsheads  of  them. 

We  found  here  in  the  greatest  perfection,  that  beauti- 
ful shrub  called  the  Palmeta,  resembling  a  small  palm- 
tree,  with  an  elegant  fine  flower:  but,  to  our  great  morti- 
fication, the  seed  is  not  yet  ripe.  We  likewise  found 
great  quantities  of  a  blue  everlasting  flower,  which  I  don't 
remember  to  have  seen  in  Miller,  or  any  of  our  botanical 
books.  The  stem  rises  above  a  foot  high,  and  is  crown- 
ed with  a  large  cluster  of  small  blue  flowers,  the  leaves 
of  which  are  of  a  dry  substance,  like  the  Elychrysum,  or 
globe  Amaranthus.  Some  of  these  are  of  a  purple  colour, 
but  most  of  them  blue.  I  have  gathered  a  pretty  large 
qQantity,for  the  speculation  of  the  botanists  on  our  return. 

We  found  a  good  swimming  place,  which  is  always 
one  of  the  first  things  we  look  out  for,  as  this  exercise 
constitutes  one  of  the  principal  pleasures  of  our  expe- 
dition. 

As  soon  as  it  was  dark,  we  got  on  board  our  little  boat, 
and  rowed  about  an  hundred  yards  out  to  sea,  where  we 
cast  anchor ;  our  pilot  asuring  us  that  this  was  absolutely 
necessary,  as  the  people  in  this  part  of  the  country  are 
little  belter  than  savages ;  and,  were  we  to  stay  on  land, 
might  very  possibly  come  down  during  the  night,  und 
rob  and  murder  us 

He  likewise  told  us,  that  the  Turks  had  made  frequent 
M 


n^ 


Tour  through 


invasions  upon  this  point  of  the  island,  which,  of  all  othersj 
lay  most  exposed  to  their  depredations  ;  that  lately  three 
of  their  chebecks  ran  into  a  small  harbour  a  few  miles 
from  this,  and  carried  oif  six  merchant  ships ;  and  that 
very  often  some  of  their  light  vessels  were  seen  hovering 
off  the  coast ;  and  the  only  way  to  be  in  perfect  security 
from  those  two  enemies  by  sea  and  land,  was  to  choose 
a  place  on  the  coast  so  deep,  that  the  banditti  by  land 
could  not  wade  in  to  us ;  and  at  the  same  time  so  shallow, 
as  to  be  equally  inaccessible  to  the  banditti  by  sea. 

When  we  found  ourselves  thus  in  security  on  both 
liands,  we  wrapt  ourselves  up  in  our  cloaks,  and  fell 
asleep :  however,  we  had  but  a  very  uncomfortable  night; 
the  wind  rose,  and  the  motion  of  our  little  bark  was  ex- 
ceedingly disagreeable,  and  made  us  heartily  sick.  As 
soon  as  day  began  to  appear,  we  made  them  pull  into 
shore  ;  when  we  were  immediately  cured  of  our  sickness; 
and  as  the  weather  continued  still  unfavourable,  we  have 
fallen  upon  a  variety  of  amusements  to  pass  the  time. 

We  have  been  thrice  in  the  water,  which  is  warm  and 
pleasant ;  and  in  the  intervals,  I  have  writ  you  this  letter 
on  the  top  of  a  large  basket  in  which  we  carry  our  sea- 
store.  We  have  likewise  gaihered  shells,  pieces  of  coral, 
of  sponge,  and  several  beautiful  kinds  of  sea-weed.  The 
rocks  here  are  all  of  sand  and  gravel  run  together,  and 
become  as  hard  as  granite.  There  are  many  shells  and 
other  marine  substances,  mixed  in  their  composition, 
which  renders  them  objects  of  curiosity  in  the  eye  of  a 
^^aturalist. 

This  morning  we  made  a  kind  of  tent  of  a  sail,  drawn 
over  the  point  of  a  rock,  and  fixed  with  an  oar,  by  way  of 
pole.  Here  we  breakfasted  most  luxuriously  on  excel- 
lent tea  and  honey  of  Hybla. 

I  was  interrupted  in  this  part  of  my  letter,  by  an  officer 
from  the  fort  of  Capo  Passero.  He  tells  us,  that  we  may 
give  over  all  thoughts  of  getting  farther  f  r  these  six 
days. — What  do  you  think  is  his  reason? — I  own  I  was 
in  ifome  pain  till  he  mentioned  it. — This  wind  set  in  ex- 
actly as  the  moon  entered  her  second  quarter,  and  it  will 
certainly  continue  till  she  is  full.  There  is  a  rascal  for 
you  1 — If  he  be  telling  truth  I  shall  certainly  study  astro- 
logy. He  likewise  told  us  that  two  galliots  had  been 
s:een  off  the  coast :  and  desired  us  to  be  upon  our  guard  ; 


Sicily  and  Malta.  123 

but  I  own  the  moon,  together  with  other  circumstance^^ 
has  considerably  weakened  his  evidence  with  me. 

We  have  learned  from  his  conversaiion,  that  the  fort 
of  Capo  Pas«:ero  is  made  use  of  as  a  place  of  exile  for  the 
delinquents  in  the  army;  of  which  number  I  have  not 
the  least  doubt  that  he  is  one.  He  told  us  there  were 
two  near  relations  of  tlie  viceroy  that  had  lately  been  sent 
there  for  misdemeanours;  that  for  his  part,  he  belonged 
\o  a  very  agreeable  garrison  ;  but  as  he  loved  retirement, 
he  chose  to  accompany  them.  However,  his  countenance 
told  a  very  different  story  ;  and  said,  in  strong  language, 
that  he  was  a  tres  mauvuis  sujet.  Besides,  he  is  a  stupid 
fellow,  and  has  tired  me.  I  could  learn  nothing  from 
him. 

It  must  be  owned,  this  is  an  excellent  place  of  exile 
for  a  young  rake,  who  wants  to  show  away  in  the  beau 
monde.  It  is  not  within  many, miles  of  any  town  or  vil- 
lage; so  that  the  gentleman  may  enjoy  retirement  in  its 
Utmost  perfection. 

We  were  surprised  to  find  on  this  coast  quantities  of 
the  true  pumice-stone,  which  at  first  we  supposed  to 
have  been  brought  by  the  sea  from  jEina,  till  we  likewise 
discovered  many  large  pieces  of  lava,  which  made  us  ima- 
gine there  must  have  been  some  eruptionoffire  in  this  part 
of  the  island  ;  yet  I  see  no  conical  mountain,  or  any  other 
indication  of  it. 

If  our  officer's  prognostications  prove  true,  and  we  arc 
detained  here  any  longer,  I  shall  examine  the  country  to 
a  much  greater  distance.  The  wind  continues  directly 
contrary  ;  the  sea  is  very  high  in  the  canal  of  Malta,  and 
our  Sicilian  servant  in  is  a  sad  trepidation. — But  I  see 
Glover  and  FuUarton  coming  for  their  dinner  ;  so  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  give  up  the  basket. — This  sea  air  gives  one 
a  monstrous  appetite  ;  and  it  is  with  grief  that  I  mentiork 
it,  we  are  already  brought  to  short  allowance  ; — qt^^'^^ 
cold  fowl  amongst  three  of  us  ;  all  three  pre*ty^  s^arp  set, 
I  assure  you.  Those  infamous  rasc«is,  to  lose  our  tur- 
tle I — They  have  spied  a  fishing:  t)oat,  and  are  hailing  her 
as  loud  as  they  can  roar- — but  alas  !  she  is  too  far  off  to 
hear  them. — They  have  just  fired  a  gun  to  bring  her  to, 
and  happily  she  obeys  the  signal,  so  there  is  still  hopes; 
otherwise  we  shall  soon  be  reduced  to  bread  and  water. 
Our  tea  and  sugar,  too,  are  just  upon  a  close,  which  is 


124  A  Tour  through 

the  crudest  article  of  all ;  but  we  have  plenty  of  good 
bread  and  Hybla  honey  ;  so  we  are  in  no  danger  of 
starving. 

We  have  likewise  made  an  admirable  and  a  very  com- 
fortable disposition  for  our  night*s  lodging.  The  Sparo- 
r.aro  is  so  very  narrow,  that  it  is  impossible  for  us  to  He 
all  in  it;  besides,  we  are  eat  up  with  vermin,  and  have 
nothing  but  the  hard  boards  to  lie  on :  all  these  consider- 
ations, added  to  the  cursed  swinging  of  the  boat,  and  the 
horrid  sickness  it  occasions,  have  determined  us  rather 
to  trust  ourselves  to  the  mercy  of  the  banditti,  than  to  lie 
another  night  at  sea  ;  besides,  we  have  marie  the  happiest 
discovery  in  the  world  ;  a  great  quantity  of  fine,  soft,  dry 
sea-weed,  lying  under  the  shelter  of  a  rock,  and  seems 
intended  by  Providence  for  our  bed :  over  this  we  are 
going  to  stretch  a  sail,  ahd  expect  to  sleep  most  luxu- 
riously ;  but  to  prevent  all  danger  from  a  surprise,  we 
have  agreed  to  stand  centry  by  turns,  with  FuUarton's 
double-barrelled  gun,  well  primed  and  loaded  for  the  re- 
ception of  the  enemy ;  at  the  first  discharge  of  which, 
and  not  before,  the  whole  guard  is  to  turn  out,  with  all 
the  remaining  part  of  our  artillery  and  small  arms  ;  and, 
as  our  situation  is  a  very  advantageous  one,  I  think  we 
shall  be  able  to  make  a  stout  defence. 

As  we  are  six  in  number,  three  masters  and  three  ser- 
vants, the  duty,  you  see,  will  be  but  trifling ;  and  five  of 
us  will  always  sleep  in  security.  Our  guard,  to  be  sure, 
might  have  been  stronger ;  but  our  Sparonaro  men  have 
absolutely  refused  to  be  of  the  party :  having  much  more 
confidence  in  their  own  element;  however,  they  have 
promised,  in  case  of  an  attack,  immediately  to  come  to 
our  assistance.  I  think  the  disposition  is  far  from  being 
a  bad  one,  and  we  arc  not  a  little  vain  of  our  general- 
ship. 

'^Ke  fishing  boat  is  now  arrived,  and  they  have  bought 
some  excellent  little  fishes,  which  are  already  on  the 
fire.— Adieu.  These  fellows  are  roaring  for  their  cold 
fowl,  and  I  can  commt-.nd  the  basket  no  longer. 

Ever  yours. 


Sicily  and  Malta,  \^ 


LETTER  XIV 


Malta,  June  4.- 

TN  spite  of  appearances,  and  our  officer's  wise  prognos- 
-■-  tications,  the  wind  changed  in  the  afternoon,  and  we 
got  under  sail  by  six  o'clock ;  we  passed  the  Straits,  and 
coasted  along  till  eight,  when  we  landed  to  cook  some 
macaroni  we  had  purchased  of  our  sailors,  and  try  if  we 
could  shoot  something  for  sea-store,  as  we  have  still  a 
long  voyage  before  us. 

We  came  to  llie  side  of  a  sulphureous  lake,  the  smell 
of  which  was  so  strong,  that  we  perceived  it  upwards  of 
a  mile  distant.  We  found  the  water  boiling  up  with 
violence  in  many  places,  though  the  heat  at  the  banks  of 
the  lake  is  very  inconsiderable.  However,  this,  added 
to  the  pumice  and  lava  we  found  near  Capo  Passero, 
lends  greatly  to  confirm  us  in  the  opinion,  that  this  part 
of  the  island,  as  well  as  about  jEtna,  has,  in  former  ages, 
been  subject  to  eruptions  of  fire. 

I  think  it  is  more  than  probable,  that  this  is  the 
celebrated  Camerina,  which  ^neas  saw  immediately 
after  his  passing  Pachynus,  (or  Capo  Passero),  which, 
Virgil  says  the  Fates  had  decreed  should  never  be 
drained : 

*'  nine  altas  cautes  projectaque  saxa  Puchynl 
*'  Radimus  ;  et  fatis  numquam  concossa  moveri 
"  Adparet  Camariue  procul." 

V^irgil  had  good  reason  to  say  so ;  for  the  level  of  tl^ 
lake  or  marsh  (it  being  somewhat  betwixt  the  two)  is 
at  least  as  low  as  that  of  the  sea,  and  consequently  never 
could  be  drained. 

It  is  surrounded  with  a  variety  of  fine  evergreens  and 
flowering  shrubs,  of  which  the  palmeta,  and  the  arbutus 
or  strawberry-tree,  are  the  most  beautiful  We  saw  a 
great  many  wild-fowl ;  but  what  surprised  me,  in  so  un- 
frequented a  phce,  they  were  so  shy,  that  there  <\'as  no 
getting  ne^r  them :  there  was  one  kind,  in  particular, 
that  attracted  our  attention  ;  it  was  of  the  size  and  form 
of  a  grey  plover,  and  flew  in  the  same  manner  j  but  h^^ 
M  2 


126  A  Tour  through* 

a  tail  of  a  great  length,  which  seemed  to  be  composed 
only  of  two  small  flexible  feathers,  that  made  a  very  un- 
common appearance  in  the  air.  After  using  all  our  art 
to  shoot  one  of  them,  we  were  obliged  to  give  up  the 
attempt. 

Here  we  killed  a  small  black  snake,  which,  I  think, 
answers  the  description  1  have  seen  of  the  asp.  We 
dissected  out  its  tongue,  the  end  of  which  appears  sharp 
like  a  sting,  and  I  suppose  is  one,  as  it  darted  out  with 
violence  agair.st  our  sticks,  when  we  presented  them  to 
it.  Now  as  all  animals,  when  attacked,  make  use  of  those 
weapons  that  Nature  has  armed  them  with  for  their  de- 
fence, it  appeared  evident  to  us,  (supposing  this  rule  a 
just  one),  that  this  animal  was  eonscious  of  a  power  of 
hurting  in  its  tongue  ;  and  we  have  been  more  fully  con- 
vinced of  it  from  dissection.  The  sting  appears  consi- 
derably larger  than  that  of  a  bee.  We  found  a  little  bag 
at  the  other  end  of  the  tongue,  and  probably,  if  we  had 
had  a  microscope,  should  have  found  the  tongue  perfo- 
rated. This  snake  has  no  teeth ;  but  very  hard  gums.—- 
I  have  taken  care  to  preserve  the  tongue  for  your  in- 
spection. 

As  I  think  it  has  always  been  supposed,  that  serpents 
hurt  only  with  their  teeth,  I  thought  this  might  be  wor- 
thy of  your  notice.  It  is  true,  that  the  darting  out  of  the 
tongue  is  a  trick  of  the  whole  serpent  tribe ;  but  this 
animal  seemed  to  do  it  with  peculiar  ferocity,  and  to 
strike  it  with  violence  against  our  sticks.  It  was  this 
that  put  us  upon  the  examination. 

I  don't  recollect  that  this  singularity  is  mentioned  in 
any  book  of  natural  history,  but  possibly  I  may  be  mis- 
taken ;  nor  indeed  do  I  remember  either  to  have  seen  or 
heard  of  any  animal  armed  in  this  manner :— Unless  you 
will  suppose  me  to  adopt  the  sentiments  of  poor  Mr. 
— — ,  who,  ever  since  his  marriage,  alledges  that  the 
tongues  of  many  females  are  formed  after  this  singular 
manner:  and  remarks  one  peculiarity,  that  the  sting 
seldom  or  never  appears  till  after  matrimony.  He  is  very 
learned  on  this  subject,  and  thinks  it  may  possibly  have 
proceeded  from  their  original  connection  with  the  ser- 
pent. Let  this  be  as  it  may,  I  sincerely  hope  that  you 
and  I  shall  never  have  such  good  reason  for  adopting  that 
opinion. 


Sicili/  and  Malta,  127 

A  little  after  nine  we  embarked.  The  night  was  de- 
lightful ;  but  the  wind  had  died  away  about  sun-stt,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  ply  our  oars  to  get  into  the  canal  of 
Malta.  The  coast  of  Sicily  began  to  recede »  and  in  a 
short  time  wc  found  ourselves  in  the  ocean.  There  was 
a  profound  silence,  except  ihe  noise  of  the  waves  break- 
ing on  the  distant  shore,  which  only  served  to  render  it 
more  solemn.  It  was  a  dead  calm,  and  the  iiioon  shone 
bright  on  the  waters.  The  waves  from  the  late  storm 
were  still  high,  but  smooth  and  even,  and  followed  one 
another  with  a  slow  and  equal  pace.  The  scene  had 
naturally  sunk  us  into  meditation  ;  we  had  remained  near 
an  hour  without  speaking  a  word,  when  our  sailors  began 
their  midnight  hymn  to  the  Virgin.  The  music  was 
simple,  solemn,  and  melancholy,  and  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  scene,  and  with  all  our  feelings.  They  beat  ex- 
act time  with  their  oars,  and  observed  the  harmony  and 
the  cadence  with  the  utmost  precision.  We  listened 
with  infinite  pleasure  to  this  melancholy  concert,  and  felt 
the  vanity  of  operas  and  oratorios.  There  is  often  a  so- 
lemnity and  a  pathetic  in  the  modulation  of  these  simple 
productions,  that  causes  a  nmch  stronger  effect,  than  the 
composition  of  the  greatest  masters,  assisted  by  all  the 
boasted  rules  of  counter-point. 

.  At  last  they  sung  us  asleep,  and  we  awoke  forty  miles 
distant  from  Sicily.  We  were  now  on  the  main  ocean, 
and  saw  no  land  but  Mount  iEtna,  which  is  the  perpetual 
polar  star  of  these  seas.  We  had  a  fine  breeze,  and  about 
two  o'clock  we  discovered  the  island  of  Malta ;  and  in 
less  than  three  hours  more,  we  reached  the  city  of  Va- 
le tta.  The  approach  of  the  island  is  very  fine,  although 
the  shore  is  rather  low  and  rocky.  It  is  every  where 
made  inaccessible  to  an  enemy,  by  an  infinite  number  of 
fortifications.  The  rock,  in  many  places,  has  been  sloped 
into  the  form  of  a  glacis,  with  strong  parapets  and  in- 
trenchments  running^  behind  it. 

The  entry  into  the  port  is  very  narrow,  and  is  com- 
manded by  a  strong  castle  on  either  side.  We  were 
hailed  from  each  of  these,  and  obliged  to  give  a  strict 
account  of  ourselves ;  and,  on  our  arrival  at  the  side  of 
the  key,  we  were  visited  bv  an  officer  of  the  health- 
office,  and  obliged  to  give  oath  with  regard  to  the  circum- 
stances of  our  voyage.— He  behaved  in  the  civilest  man^ 


V2S  A  Tour  t/irouzh 


'Q' 


ner,  and  immediately  sent  us  Mr.  Rutter,  the  English" 
consul,  for  whom  we  had  letters  of  recommendation. 

On  getting  on  shore,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  new 
world. — The  streets  crowded  with  well  dressed  people, 
who  have  all  the  appearance  of  health  and  affluence ; 
whereas,  at  Syracuse,  there  was  scarce  a  creature  to  be 
seen  ;  and  even  those  few  had  the  appearance  of  disease 
and  wretchedness. — Mr.  Rutter  immediately  conducted 
us  to  an  inn,  which  had  more  the  appearance  of  a  palace. 
We  have  had  an  excellent  supper,  and  good  Burgundy ; 
and  as  this  is  this  is  the  king's  birth-day,  we  have  almost 
got  tipsey  to  his  health.  We  are  now  going  into  clean, 
comfortable  beds,  in  expectation  of  the  sweetest  slum- 
bers— Think  of  the  luxury  of  this,  after  being  five  long 
days  without  throwing  off  our  clothes  —Good  night ;  I 
would  not  lose  a  moment  of  it  for  the  world. — People 
may  say  what  they  please,  but  there  is  no  enjoyment  in 
living  in  perpetual  ease  and  affluence,  and  the  true  luxu- 
ry is  only  to  be  attained  by  undergoing  a  few  hardships. 
• — But  this  is  no  time  lo  philosophise.     So  adieu. 


LETTER  XV 


3'Jalia,  June  ^.. 

OUR  banker,  M.  Pousilach,  was  here  before  we  were 
up,  inviting  us  to  dine  with  him  at  his  country- 
house,  from  whence  we  are  just  now  returned.  He  gave 
us  a  noble  entertainment,  served  on  plate,  with  an  ele- 
gant dessert,  and  a  great  variety  of  wines. 

After  dinner  we  went  to  visit  the  principal  villas  of  the 
island ;  particularly  those  of  the  grand  master,  and  the 
general  of  the  galleys,.which  lie  contiguous  to  each  other. 
These  are  nothing  great  or  magnificent ;  but  they  are 
admirably  contrived  for  a  hot  climate,  where,  of  all 
thin^^s,  shade  is  the  most  desirable.  The  orange  groves 
are  indeed  very  fine,  and  the  fruit  they  bear  are  superior 
to  any  thing  you  have  seen  in  Spain  or  Portugal. 

The  aspect  of  the  coantry  is  far  fron»  being  pleasing  *. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  1^9 

the  whole  island  is  a  great  rock  of  very  white  free-stone, 
and  the  soil  that  covers  this  rock,  in  most  places,  is  not 
more  than  five  or  six  inches  deep;  yet,  what  is  singular, 
we  found  their  crop  in  general  was  exceedingly  abundant. 
I'hey  account  for  it  from  the  copious  dews  that  fail  du- 
ring the  spring  and  summer  mnnihs ;  and  pretend  like- 
wise, that  there  is  a  moisture  in  the  rock  below  the  soil, 
thit  is  of  great  advantage  to  the  corn  and  cotton,  keeping 
its  roots  perpetually  moist  and  cool :  without  which  sin- 
gular quality,  they  say,  they  could  have  no  crops  at  all, 
the  heat  of  the  sun  is  so  exceedingly  violent. 

Their  barley  harvest  has  been  over  some  time  ago  ; 
and  they  are  just  now  finishing  that  of  the  wheat.  The 
whole  island  produces  corn  only  sufinicient  to  support  its 
inhabitants  for  five  months,  or  little  more ;  but  the  crop 
they  most  depend  upon  is  the  cotton.  They  began  sow- 
ing it  about  three  weeks  ago,  and  it  will  be  finished  in  a 
week  more.  The  time  of  reaping  it  is  in  the  month  of 
October,  and  beginning  of  November. 

They  pretend  that  the  cotton  produced  from  this  plant,^ 
which  is  sown  and  reaped  in  four  months,  is  of  a  much 
superior  quality  to  that  of  the  cotton-tree.  I  compared 
them,  but  I  cannot  say  I  found  it  so;  this  is  indeed  the 
finest;  but  that  of  the  cotton- tree  is  by  much  the  strong- 
est texture.  The  plant  rises  to  the  height  of  a  foot  and 
a  half,  and  is  covered  with  a  number  of  nuts  or  pods  full 
of  cotton  :  these,  when  ripe,  they  are  at  great  pains  to  cut 
off  every  morning  before  run-rise  ;  for  the  heat  of  the 
sun  immediately  turns  the  cotton  yellow;  which,  indeed, 
we  saw  from  those  pods  they  save  for  seed. 

They  manufacture  their  cotton  into  a  great  variety  of 
stuffs.  Their  stockings  are  exceedingly  fine.  Some  of 
them,  they  assured  us,  had  been  sold  for  ten  sequins  a 
pair.  Their  coverlids  and  blankets  are  esteemed  all  over 
Europe.  Of  these  the  principal  manufactures  are  estab- 
lished in  the  little  island  of  Gozzo,  where  the  people  are 
said  to  be  more  industrious  than  those  of  Mnlta,  as  they 
are  more  excluded  from  the  world,  and  have  fewer  in- 
ducements to  idleness.  Here  the  sugar-cane  is  still 
cultivated  with  success,  though  not  in  any  considerable 
quantity. 

The  Maltese  oranges  certainly  deserve  the  character 
they  have  of  being  the  finest  in  the  world.     The  season 


l$0  A  Tour  through 


^ 


(iontinae  for  upwards  of  seven  months,  from  November 
till  the  middle  of  June ;  during  which  time,  those  beau- 
tiful trees  are  always  covered  with  abundance  of  this  de- 
licious fruit.  Many  of  them  arc  of  the  red  kind,  much 
superior,  in  my  opinion,  to  the  others,  which  are  rather 
too  luscious.  They  are  produced,  I  am  told,  from  the 
common  orange  bud,  engrafted  on  the  pomegranate  stock. 
The  juice  of  this  fruit  is  red  as  blood,  and  of  a  fine  flavour. 
The  greatest  part  of  their  crop  is  sent  in  presents  to  the 
different  courts  of  Europe,  and  to  the  relations  of  the 
chevaliers.  It  was  not  without  a  good  deal  of  difficulty 
that  we  procured  a  fevv  chests  for  our  friends  at  Naples. 

The  industry  of  the  Maltese  in  cultivating  their  lit- 
tle island  is  inconceivable.  There  is  not  an  inch  of 
ground  lost  in  any  part  of  it ;  and  where  there  was  not 
soil  enough,  they  have  brought  over  ships  and  boats 
loaded  with  it  from  Sicily,  where  there  is  plenty  and  to 
spare.  The  whole  island  is  full  of  inclosures  of  free- 
stone, which  gives  the  country  a  very  uncouth  and  a 
very  barren  aspect,  and,  in  summer,  reflects  such  a  light 
and  heat,  that  it  is  exceedingly  disagreeable  and  offen- 
sive to  the  eyes.  The  inclosures  are  very  small  and  ir- 
regular, according  to  the  inclinaton  of  the  ground.  This, 
they  say,  they  are  obliged  to  observe,  notwithstanding 
the  deformity  it  occasions  ;  otherwise  the  floods,  to  which 
tl^ey  are  subjtict,  would  soon  carry  off"  their  soil. 

The  island  is  covered  over  with  country  houses  and  vil- 
lages, besides  seven  cities,  for  so  they  term  them  ;  but 
there  are  only  two,  the  Valetta  and  the  Cilta  Vecchia, 
that  by  any  means  deserve  that  appellation.  Every  little 
village  has  a  noble  church,  elegantly  finished  and  adorned 
with  statues  of  marble,  rich  tapestry,  and  a  large  quantity 
of  silver  plate.  They  are  by  much  the  handsomest  coun- 
try churches  I  have  ever  seen.  But  1  am  interrupted  in 
my  writing,  by  the  beginning  (I  am  told)  of  a  very  fine 
show.  If  it  be  so,  I  shall  give  you  some  account  of  it  by 
and  by. 

Eleven  at  night. — The  show  is  now  finished,  and  has 
afforded  us  great  entertainment.  It  was  the  Itleparture 
of  a  Maltese  squadron  to  assist  the  French  against  the 
Bey  of  Tunis,  who,  it  seems,  has  fUlcn  under  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  grand  monarque,  because  he  refused  to 
deliver  up  without  ransom  the  Corsican  slaves  that  were 


Sicily  and  Malta.  4-31 

takejQ  before  the  French  were  in  possession  of  that  island. 
The  squadron  consisted  of  three  galleys;  the  largest  with 
nine  hundred  n^en,  each  of  the  others  with  seven  hun- 
dred :  three  galliots,  and  several  scamfiaviai^<i  so  called 
from  their  exceeding  swiftness.  These  immense  Bodies 
were  all  worked  by  oars,  and  moved  with  great  regular- 
ity. The  admiral  went  first,  and  the  rest  in  order,  ac- 
cording to  their  dignity.  The  sea  was  crovded  with 
boats,  and  the  ramparts  and  fortifications  were  filled  with 
the  company.  The  port  resounded  on  all  sides  with  the 
discharge  of  heavy  artillery,  which  was  answered  by  the 
galleys  and  galliots  as  they  left  the  haibour.  As  the 
echo  is  here  uncommonly  great,  it  produced  a  very  noble 
effect. 

There  were  about  thirty  knights  in  each  galley,  making 
signals  all  the  way  to  their  mibtresses,  who  were  weep- 
ing for  their  departure  upon  the  bastions ;  for  these  gen- 
tlemen pay  almost  as  little  regard  to  their  vows  of  chasti- 
ty, as  the  priests  and  confessors  do.  After  viewing  the 
show  from  the  ramparts,  we  took  a  boat  and  followed  the 
squadron  for  some  time,  and  did  not  return  till  long  after 
sun-set. 

We  have  been  admiring  the  wonderful  strength  of  this 
place,  both  by  nature  and  art — It  is  certainly  the  happi- 
est siiuation  that  can  be  imagined.  The  city  stands  upoQ 
a  peninsula,  betwixt  two  of  the  finest  ports  in  the  world; 
which  arc  defended  by  almost  impregnable  fortifications. 
That  on  the  south-east  side  of  the  city  is  the  largest. — 
It  runs  about  two  miles  into  the  heart  of  the  island,  and 
is  so  very  deep,  and  surrounded  by  such  high  grounds 
and  fortifications,  that  they  assured  us  the  largest  ships 
of  war  might  ride  here  in  the  most  stormy  v/eather,  al- 
most without  a  cHkle. 

This  beautiful  bason  is  divided  into  five  distinct  har- 
bours, all  equally  safe,  and  each  capable  of  containing  an 
immense  number  of  shippujg.  The  mouth  of  the  har- 
bour is  scarcely  a  quartf  r  of  a  mile  broad,  and  is  com- 
manded on  each  side  by  batteries  that  would  tear  the 
strongest  ship  to  pieces  before  she  could  enter  Besides 
this  it  is  fronted  by  a  quadruple  battery,  one  above  the 
other,  the  largest  of  which  is  a  Jieur  (Veau<,  or  on  a  level 
with  the  water.  These  are  mounted  with  about  80  of 
theif  heaviest  artillery ;  so  that  this  harbour,  I  think,  mcvy 


162  A  Tour  throu^k 


&' 


really  be  considered  as  impregnable ;  and   indeed   ihe 
Turks  have  ever  found  it  so,  and  I  believe  ever  will. 

The  harbour  on  the  norih  side  of  the  city,  although 
they  only  use  it  for  fishings,  and  as  a  place  of  quarantine, 
would,  in  any  other  part  of  the  world,  be  considered  as 
inestimable.  It  is  likewise  defended  by  very  strong 
works ;  and  in  the  centre  of  the  bason  there  is  an  island 
on  which  they  have  built  a  castle  and  a  lazaret. 

The  fortifications  of  Malta  are  indeed  a  most  stupen- 
dous work.  All  the  boasted  catacombs  of  Rome  and 
Naples  are  a  trifle  to  the  immense  excavations  that  have 
been  made  in  this  little  island.  The  ditches,  of  a  vast 
size,  are  all  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock.  These  extend 
for  a  great  many  miles ;  and  raise  our  astonishment  to 
think  that  so  small  a  state  has  ever  been  able  to  make 
them. 

One  side  of  the  island  is  so  completely  fortified  by 
nature,  that  there  was  nothing  left  for  art.  The  rock  is 
of  a  great  h«ight,  and  absolutely  perpendicular  from  the 
sea  for  several  miles.  It  is  very  singular,  that  on  this 
side  there  are  still  the  vestiges  of  several  ancient  roads, 
with  *the  tracks  of  carriages  worn  deep  in  the  rocks  ; 
these  roads  arc  now  terminated  by  the  precipice,  with 
the  sea  beneath;  and  shew  to  a  demonstration,  that  this 
island  has  in  former  ages  been  of  a  much  larger  size  than 
it  is  at  present;  but  the  convulsion  that  occasioned  its 
di  ninution  is  probably  much  beyond  the  reach  of  any 
history  or  tradition.  It  has  often  been  observed,  notwith- 
standing the  very  great  distance  of  Mount  ^Etna,  that  this 
island  has  generally  been  more  or  less  affected  by  its 
eruptions  ;  and  they  think  it  probable,  that  on  some  of 
those  occasions  a  part  of  it  may  have  been  shaken  into 
the  sea. 

We  have  now  an  opportunity  of  observing  that  one 
half  of  Mount  ^tna  is  dcifly  discovered  from  Malta. — 
They  reckon  the  distance  near  200  Italian  miles.  And 
the  people  here  assure  us.  that  in  the  great  eruptions  of 
that  mountain,  their  whole  island  is  illuminated ;  and 
from  the  reH-ction  in  the  water,  there  appears  a  great 
track  of  fire  in  the  sea,  all  the  way  from  Malta  to  Sicily. 
The  thundering  of  the  mountain  is  likewise  distinctly 
heard  — Good  night. — I  am  fatigued  with  this  day's  ex- 
peditioH)  and  shall  finish  my  letter  \Q-ji^QXi'**^ 


lunc  C.  As  the  city  of  Valelta  is  built  uptn  a  hill, 
luone  of  the  streets  except  the  key  are  level.  They  arc 
all  paved  with  white  free-stone,  which  not  only  creates 
a  great  dust,  but  from  Its  colour  is  likewise  so  ofiensive 
to  the  eyes,  that  most  of  the  people  here  arc  rcniarkiibly 
Weak  sighted.  The  principal  buildings  are  the  palace 
of  the  grand  master,  the  infirmary,  t!ie  arsenal,  the  inns 
or  hotels  of  the  Seven  Tongues,  and  the  great  church  of 
St.  John.  The  palace  is  a  noble  though  a  plain  struc- 
tijre,  and  the  grand  master  (who  studies  conveniency 
?iiore  than  magnificence)  is  more  comfortably  and  com- 
niodiously  lodged  than  any  prince  in  Europe,  the  king 
of  Sardinia  perhaps  only  excepted.  The  great  stair  is 
the  easiest  and  the  best  I  ever  saw. 

St.  John's  is  a  magnificent  church.  The  pavement, 
in  particular,  is  reckoned  the  richest  in  the  world.  It 
is  entirely  composed  of  sepulchral  monuments  of  the 
nnest  marbles,  porphyry,  lapis  lazuli,  and  a  variety  of 
other  valuable  stones  adnlnrably  joined  together,  and  at 
an  incredible  expence;  representing  in  a  kind  of  Mosaic, 
the  arms,  insignia,  &c.  of  the  persons  whose  names  they 
are  intended  to  commemorate.  In  the  magnificence  of 
these  monuments,  the  heirs  of  the  grand  masters,  and 
commanders  have  long  vied  with  each  other. 

We  went  this  day  to  see  the  celebration  of  their  church 
service.  It  seems  to  be  more  overcharged  with  parade 
and  ceremony  than  what  I  have  ever  observed  even  irx 
any  other  catholic  country.  The  number  of  genuflec- 
tions before  the  altar,  the  kissing  of  the  prior's  hand,  the 
holding  up  of  his  robes  by  the  subaltern  priests^  the  cere- 
mony of  throwing  incense  upon  the  knights  of  the  great 
cross,  and  neglecting  the  poorer  knights,  with  many  other 
articles,  appeared  to  us  highly  ridiculous;  and  most  es- 
sentially different  indeed  from  that  purity  and  simplicity 
of  Worship  that  constitutes  the  very  essence  of  true 
Christianity,  and  of  which  the  great  pattern  they  pretenA 
to  copy,  set  so  very  noble  an  example. 

This  day  (the  6th  of  June)  is  held  as  a  ihanksgivitip 
for  their  deliverance  from  a  terrible  conspiracy  that  was 
formed  about  twenty-one  years  ago,  by  the  Turkish 
slaves;  at  one  stroke  to  put  an  end  to  the  whole  order  of 
MftUa.  AH  the  fountains  of  the  place  were  to  be  poisoa»' 
N 


13*  A  lour  tliromk 


'ij' 


ed ;  and  every  slave  had  taken  a  solemn  oatTj  to  put  iiiV- 
master  to  death. 

It  was  discovered  by  a  Jew,  who  kept  a  coffee-house. 
He  understood  the  Turkish  language,  and  overheard 
some  discourse  that  he  thought  suspicious.  He  went 
immediately  and  informed  the  grand  master.  The  sus- 
pected persons  were  instantly  seized  and  put  to  the  tor- 
ture, and  soon  confessed  the  whole  plot.  The  executions 
were  shocking.  One  hundred  and  twenty-five  were  put 
to  death  by  various  torments.  Some  were  burned  alive, 
some  were  broken  on  the  wheel,  and  some  were  torn  to 
pieces  by  the  four  galleys  rowing  different  ways,  and 
each  bringing  off  its  limb.  Since  that  time,  the  slaves 
have  been  much  more  strictly  watched,  and  have  less 
liberty  than  formerly  Adieu.  I  shall  write  to  yoij 
again  before  we  leave  Malta.  Yours,  See-. 


LETTER  XVI. 


Malta  y  June  7 . 
'^"^HIS  day  we  made  an  expedition  through  the  island 
X,  in  coaches  drawn  by  one  mule  each  ;  the  only  kind 
of  vehicle  the  place  affords.  Our  conductors  could  speak 
nothing  but  Arabic,  which  is  still  the  language  of  the  com- 
mon people  of  Malta  ;  so  that  you  may  believe  we  did  not 
reap  much  benefit  froni  their  conversation.  We  went 
first  to  the  ancient  city  of  Melita,  which  is  near  the  cen- 
tre of  the  island,  and  commands  a  view  of  the  whole  ; 
and  in  clear  weather,  they  pretend,  of  part  of  Barbary 
and  of  Sicily.  The  city  is  strongly  fortified,  and  is  go- 
verned by  an  officer  called  the  Hahem.  He  received  us 
very  politely,  and  shewed  us  the  old  palace,  which  is  not 
indeed  much  worth  the  seeing.  The  cathedral  is  a  very 
fine  church;  and,  although  of  an  exceeding  large  size,  is 
at  present  entirely  hung  with  crimson  damask  richly 
laced  with  gold. 

The  catacombs,  not  far  from  the  city,  are  a  great  work. 
They  are  sjrid  to  extend  for  fifteen  miles  under  ground  f 


Sicilij  and  Malta.  136 

however,  this  you  are  obliged  to  take  on  the  credit  of 
your  guides,  as  it  would  rather  be  risking  too  much  to 
put  it  to  the  trial.  Many  people,  they  assure  us,  have 
been  lost  in  advancing  too  far  in  them  ;  the  prodigious 
number  of  branches  making  it  next  to  impossible  to  find 
the  way  out  again. 

From  this  we  went  to  see  the  Bosquetta,  where  the 
grand  master  has  his  country  palace  ;  by  tlie  accounts  we 
had  of  it  at  Valeita,  we  expected  lo  find  a  forest  stored 
with  deer  and  every  kind  of  game,  as  ihey  tcilkcd  much 
of  the  great  hunts  that  were  made  every  year  in  those 
woods. — We  were  not  a  little  surprised  to  find  only  a 
few  scattered  trees,  and  about  half  a  dozen  deer ;  but  as 
this  is  the  only  thing  like  a  wood  in  the  island,  it  is  es- 
teemed a  very  great  curiosity.  The  palace  is  as  little 
v^orth  seeing  as  the  forest ;  though  indeed  the  prospect 
from  the  top  of  it  is  very  fine.  The  furniture  is  three 
or  four  hundred  years  old,  and  in  the  most  Gothic  taste 
that  can  be  imagined  ;  but  indeed  the  grand  master  sel- 
dom or  never  resides  here. 

The  great  source  of  water  tliat  supplies  the  city  of 
Valetta,  takes  its  rise  near  lo  this  place ;  and  there  is  an 
aqueduct  composed  of  some  thousand  arches,  that  con- 
veys it  from  thence  to  the  ci(y.  The  whole  of  this  im- 
mense work  was  finished  at  the  private  expence  of  one 
of  the  grand  masters. 

Not  far  from  the  old  city  there  is  a  small  church,  dedi- 
cated to  St.  Paul;  and  just  by  the  church,  a  miraculous 
statue  of  the  saitit  with  a  viper  on  his  hand  ;  supposed  to 
be  placed  on  the  very  spot  on  which  the  house  stood, 
where  he  was  received  after  his  shipwreck  on  this  islanrK 
end  where  he  shook  the  viper  off  his  hand  into  the  fire 
without  being  hurt  bv  it;  at  whioh  time,  the  Maltese 
assiHc  us,  the  saint  cursed  all  the  venon»ous  anin.als  of 
the  inland  and  b'mibhed  them  for  ever  ;  j^ls^  as  St.  Pat- 
rick treated  those  of  his  fdvourite  ish.  Whether  this 
be  the  cause  of  it  or  not.  we  shall  leave  to  dirines  to  de- 
termine, (thotigh  if  it  had  ]  think  ^>t  Luke  would  have 
mentioned  it  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles),  but  the  fact  is 
certain,  that  there  are  no  venomous  animals  in  Malta. 
They  assured  u<,  that  vipers  had  been  brought  from  Si- 
lly, and  died  almost  immediately  on  their  arrival 

A^ioiiin!?  to  the  church  there  is  the  celebrated  grotto^ 


136  A  'Tour  i/wough 

in  which  the  saint  was  imprisoned — It  is  looked  upen 
with  the  utmost  reverence  and  veneration;  and  if  the  bto- 
ries  they  tell  of  it  be  true,  it  is  well  entitled  to  it  all.  It  is 
exceedingly  damp,  and  produces  (I  believe  by  a  kind  of 
petretaction  from  the  water)  a  whitish  kind  of  stone, 
vt'hich  ihey  assure  us,  when  reduced  to  powder,  is  a  sove- 
peign  remedy  in  many  diseases,  and  saves  the  lives  of 
thousands  every  year.  There  is  not  a  house  in  the  island 
that  is  not  provided  with  it  i  and  they  tell  us  there  are 
many  boxes  of  it  sent  annually,  not  only  to  Sicily  and  Italy, 
but  likewise  to  the  Levant  and  the  East  Indies;  and  (what 
is  considered  as  a  daily  standing  miracle)  notwithstand- 
ing this  perpetual  consumpiion,  it  has  never  been  ex- 
hausted, nor  even  sensibly  diminished  ;  the  saint  always 
taking  care  to  supply  them  with  a  fresh  quantity  the  day 
following. 

You  may  be  sure  we  did  not  fail  to  stufT  our  pockets 
with  this  wonderful  stone ;  I  suspected  they  would  have 
prevented  us,  as  I  did  not  suppose  the  saint  would  have 
worked  for  heretics ;  however,  neiiher  he  nor  the  priests 
had  any  objection,  and  we  gave  them  a  few  Pauls*  more 
for  their  civility.  I  tasted  some  of  it,  and  believe  it  is  a 
very  harmless  thing.  It  tastes  like  exceeding  bad  mag-, 
nesia,  and  I  believe  has  pretty  much  the  same  effects. 
They  give  about  a  tea-spoonful  of  it  to  children  in  the 
small-pox  and  in  fevers.  It  produces  a  copious  sweat 
about  half  an  hour  after,  and,  they  say,  never  fails  to  be 
of  service.  It  is  likewise  esteena^ed  a  certain  remedy 
against  the  bite  of  all  venomous  animals.  There  is  a  very 
fine  statue  of  St.  Paul  in  the  middle  of  this  grotto,  to 
^hich  they  ascribe  great  powers. 

We  were  delighted  on  our  way  back  to  the  city,  with 
the  beauty  of  the  setting  sun,  much  superior,  I  think,  to 
what  I  have  ever  observed  it  in  Italy.  The  whole  of  the 
eastern  parts  of  the  heavens,  for  half  an  hour  after  sun- 
set, was  of  a  fine  deep  purple,  and  made  a  beautiful  ap- 
pearance ;  this  the  Maltese  tell  us  is  generally  the  case 
every  evening  at  this  season  of  the  year. 

I  forgot  to  say  any  thing  of  our  presentation  to  the 
grand  master,  for  which  I  ask  pardon  both  of  you  and 


*  A  small  silver  coin 


Sicily  and  Malta,  137 

him. — His  name  is  Pinto,  and  of  a  Portuguese  family. 
He  has  now  been  at  the  head  of  this  singular  little  state 
for  upwards  of  thirty  years.  He  received  us  with  great 
potiteness,  and  was  highly  pleased  to  find  that  some  of 
us  had  been  in  Portugal  He  mentioned  the  intimate 
commercial  connections  that  had  so  long  subsisted  be- 
twixt our  nations,  and  expressed  his  desire  of  being  of 
service  to  us,  and  of  rendering  our  stay  in  his  island  as 
agreeable  as  possible.  He  is  a  clear-headed,  sensible, 
little  old  man  ;  which,  at  so  advanced  a  period  of  life,  is 
very  uncommon.  Although  he  is  considerably  upwards 
of  ninety,  he  retains  all  the  faculties  of  his  mind  in  per- 
fection. He  has  no  minister,  but  manages  every  thing 
himself;  and  has  immediate  information  of  the  most  mi- 
nute occurrences.  He  walks  up  and  down  stairs,  and  even 
to  church,  without  assistance:  and  has  the  appearance 
as  if  he  would  still  live  for  many  years.  His  household 
attendince  and  court  are  all  very  princely ;  and,  as  grand 
master  of  Malta,  he  is  more  absolute,  and  possesses  more 
power  than  most  sovereign  princes.  His  titles  "^re  Se- 
rene Highness  and  Eminence;  and  as  he  has  the  disposal 
of  all  lucrative  offices,  he  makes  of  his  councils  what  he 
pleases;  besides, in  all  the  councils  that  compose  the  ju- 
risdiction of  this  little  nation,  he  himself  presides,  and 
has  tv/o  votes.  Since  he  was  chosen  grand  master,  he 
has  already  given  away  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
commanderies,  some  of  them  worth  upwards  of  L  2000 
ar-year,  besides  priories  and  other  offices  of  profit.— He 
has  the  disposal  of  twenty-one  commanderies  and  one 
priory  every  five  years;  and,  as  there  are  always  a  num- 
ber of  expectants,  he  is  very  much  courted. 

He  is  chosen  by  a  committee  of  twenty-one;  which 
committee  is  nominated  by  the  seven  nations,  three  out 
of  each  nation.  The  election  must  be  over  within  three 
days  after  the  death  of  the  former  grand  master;  and 
during  these  three  days,  there  is  scarce  a  soul  that  sleeps 
at  Malta:  all  is  cab^l  and  intrigue  :  and  most  of  the  knights 
are  masked,  to  prevent  their  particular  attachments  and 
connections  from  being  known  :  the  moment  the  election 
is  over,  every  thing  returns  again  to  its  former  channel. 

The  land  force  of  Malta  is   equal  to  the  number  of 
men  in  the  island  fit  to  bear  arms.     They   have   about 
five  hundred  regulars  belonging  to  the  ships  of-war ;  aii4i 
N  2. 


ioS  A  Tour  Lhroush 


Q' 


ons  hundred  ai*d  fifty  compose  the  guard  of  the  princ'e'/ 
The  two  islands  of  Muha  and  Gozzo  contain  about  one 
lumdred  and  fifty  thousand  inhabitants.  The  men  are 
eKceedini:^ly  robust  and  hardy.  I  have  seen  them  row 
from  ten  to  twelve  hours  without  intermission,  and 
without  even  appearing  to  be  fatigued. 

The  sea  force  consists  of  four  galleys,  three  galliots, 
four  ships  of  sixty  guns,  and  a  frigate  of  thirty-six,  be- 
sides a  number  of  the  quick-sailing  little  vessels  called 
Scampavias,  literally  Run-away s.  Their  ships,  galleys, 
and  fortifications,  are  not  only  supplied  with  excellent 
artillery,  but  they  have  likewise  invented  a  kind  of  ord- 
nance of  their  own,  unknown  to  all  the  world  besideJi. 
For  we  found  to  our  no  small  amazement,  that  the  rocks 
Avere  not  only  cut  into  fortifications,  but  likewise  into 
artillery,  to  defend  these  fortifications  ;  being  hollowed 
out  in  many  places  into  the  form  of  immense  mortars. 
The  charge  is  said  to  be  about  a  barrel  of  gun-pow(^r, 
over  which  they  place  a  large  piece  of  wood,  exactly  to 
nt  the  mouth  of  the  chamber.  On  this  they  heap  a  great 
quanliiy  of  cannon  balls,  shells,  or  other  deadly  materials; 
and  when  an  enemy's  ship  approaches  the  harbour,  they 
fire  the  whole  into  the  air ;  and  they  pretend  it  produces 
a-  very  great  effect,  making  a  shower  for  two  or  three  hun- 
dred yards  round  that  would  sink  any  vessel. 

Notwithstanding  the  supposed  bigotry  of  the  Maltese, 
ihe  spirit  of  toleration  is  so  strong,  that  a  mosque  has 
lately  been  built  for  their  sworn  enemies  the  Turks. — 
Here  the  poor  slaves  are  allowed  to  enjoy  their  religion 
in  peace.  It  happened  I^ely  that  some  idle  boys  dis- 
turbed them  during  their  service ;  they  were  immedi- 
ately sent  to  prison,  and  severely  punished.  The  police 
indeed  is  much  better  regulated  than  in  the  neighbouring 
countries,  and  assassinations  and  robberies  are  very  un- 
common ;  the  last  of  which  crime  the  grand  master  pu- 
nishes with  the  utmost  severity.  But  he  is  said,  perhaps 
in  compliance  with  the  prejudice  of  his  nation,  to  be  muc^. 
more  relax  with  regard  to  the  first. 

Perhaps  Malta  is  the  only  country  in  the  world  where 
duelling  is  permitted  by  law. — As  their  >t  hole  establishr« 
meni  is  originally  founded  on  the  wild  and  romantic- 
-principles  of  chivalry,  they  have  ever  found  it  too  incon* 
Ifeconsi^tent.with  those  principles  to  abolish  duelling;  bdt 


Sicily  ami  Malta.  139 

they  have  laid  it  under  such  restrictions  as  greatly  to 
lessen  iis  danger.  These  arc  curious  enough.^ — The 
duellists  are  obliged  to  decide  their  quarrel  in  one  parti- 
cular street  of  the  city;,  and  if  they  presume  to  fight  any 
where  else,  they  are  liable  to  the  rigour  of  the  law.  But 
what  is  not  less  sinij;ular,  and  naich  more  in  their  favour, 
they  are  obliged  under  the  most  severe  penalties  to  put 
up  their  sword,  when  ordered  so  to  do,  by  a  'u^ovian^  a 
priest^  or  a  hiight. 

Under  these  limitations,  in  the  midst  of  a  great  city; 
one  would  imagine  it  almost  impossible  that  a  duel  could 
ever  end  in  blood ;  however,  this  is  not  the  case : — A^ 
cross  is  always  painted  on  the  wall  opposite  to  the  spot 
where  a  knight  has  been  killed,  in  commemoraiion  of 
his  fall. — We  counted  about  twenty  of  these  crosses. 

About  three  months  ago,  two  knights  had  a  dispute  at 
a  billiard  table. — One  of  them,  after  giving  a  great  deal 
of  abusive  language,  a^led  a  blow  ;  but  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  all  Malta  (in  whose  annals  there  is  not  a  siniilar 
instance)  after  so  great  a  provocation,  he  absolutely  re* 
fused  to  fight  his  antagonist — The  challenge  was  repeal- 
ed, and  he  had  time  to  reflect  on  the  consequences,  but 
still  he  refused  to  enter  the  lists. — He  was  condemned  to 
make  amende  honorable^  in  the  great  church  of  St.  John, 
for  forty-five  days  successively;  then  to  be  confined  in  a 
dungeon  without  light  for  five  years,  after  which  he  is  to 
remain  a  prisoner  in  fhe  castle  for  life.  The  unfortunate 
young  man  who  received  the  blow,  is  likewise  in  dis- 
grace, as  he  had  not  an  opportuniiy  of  wiping  it  out  m 
Lhe  blood  of  his  adversary. 

This  has  been  looked  upon  as  a  very  singular  affair, 
and  is  still  one  of  the  priiycipal  topics  of  cc^nversution. 
The  first  part  of  the  sentence  has  already  been  executed, 
and  the  poor  wretch  is  now  in  his  dungeon.  Nor  is  it 
thought  that  any  abatement  will  be  made  in  what  remains; 
If  the  legislature  in  other  countries  punishtd  with  equal 
rigour  those  that  do  fight,  as  it  docs  in  this  those  that  do 
not,  I  believe  we  should  soon  have  an  end  of  duelliftgj 
but  I  should  imagine  the  punishment  for  fighting  ought 
aever  to  be  a  capital  one,  (but  something  ignominious  ;) 
and  the  punishment  for  not  fighting  should  always  be 
so,  or  at  least  some  severe  corporal  punishment ;  for  ig- 
nominjr  will  have  as.  iittl&  effect  on  the  person  who  willi 


150  A  Tour  through 

Submit  to  the  appellation  of  coward,  as  the  fear  of  death 
on  one  who  makes  it  his  glory  to  despise  it. 

The  Maltese  still  talk  with  horror  of  a  storm  that  hap- 
pened here  on  the  29th  of  October,  1757,  which,  as  it 
was  of  a  very  singular  nature,  I  shall  translate  you  some 
account  of  it  from  a  little  book  they  have  given  me,  writ- 
ten on  that  subject. 

About  three  quarters  of  an  hour  after  midnight,  there 
appeared  to  the  south-west  of  the  city  a  great  black 
cloud,  which,  as  it  approached,  changed  its  colour,  till 
at  last  it  became  like  a  flame  of  fire  mixed  with  black 
smoke.  A  dreadful  noise  was  heard  on  its  approach, 
that  alarmed  the  whole  city.  It  passed  over  pan  of  the 
port,  and  came  first  upon  an  English  ship,  which  in  an 
instant  was  torn  to  pieces,  and  nothing  left  but  the  hulk  ; 
part  of  the  masts,  sails,  and  cordage  were  carried  along 
with  the  cloud  to  a  considerable  distance.  The  small 
boats  and  fellouques  that  fell  in  its  way  were  all  broken  to 
pieces,  and  sunk.  The  noise  increased  and  became  more 
frightful.  A  centinel,  terrified  at  its  approach,  run  into 
his  box :  both  he  and  it  were  lifted  up,  and  carried  into 
the  sea,  where  he  perished.  It  then  traversed  a  consi- 
derable part  of  the  city,  and  laid  in  ruins  almost  every 
thing  that  stood  in  its  way  Several  houses  were  laid: 
level  with  the  ground,  and  it  did  nol  leave  one  steeple  in 
its  passage.  The  bells  of  some  of  them,  together  with 
the  spires,  were  carried  to  a  considerable  distance.  The 
roofs  of  the  churches  were  demolished  and  beat  down, 
which,  if  it  had  happened  in  the  day  time,  must  have  had 
dreadful  consequences,  as  all  the  world  would  immediate- 
ly have  run  into  the  churcheSi 

It  went  off  at  the  north-east  point  ©f  the  city ;  and,  de- 
molishing the  light-house,  is  said  to  have  mounted  up  in 
th .'  air,  with  a  frightful  rtoise  ;  and  passed  over  the  sea  Vt 
Sicily,  where  it  tore  up  some  trees,  and  did  other  damage, 
but  nothing  considerable ;  as  its  fury  had  been  mostly 
spent  upon  Malta.  The  number  of  killed  and  wounded 
amounted  to  near  two  hundred,  and  the  loss  of  shipping, 
houses,  and  churches,  was  very  considerable. 

Several  treatises  have  been  written  to  account  for  this 
singular  hurricane,  but  I  have  found  nothing  at  all  satis- 
factory. The  sentiments  of  the  people  are  concise  and 
positive.    They  declare  with  one  voice,  that  it  was  a; 


Sicily  and  Malta .  i  4  i 

lesjion  of  devils  let  leose  to  punish  them  for  their  siris. 
There  are  a  thousand  people  in  Malta  that  will  lake  their 
oath  they  saw  them  within  the  cloud,  all  as  black  as  pitch, 
and  breathing  out  fire  and  brimstone.  They  add,  that  if 
there  had  not  been  a  few  godly  people  amongst  thcn^, 
their  whole  city  would  certainly  have  been  involved  in 
one  uni'^rsal  destruction. 

The  horse  races  of  Malta  arc  of  a  very  uncommon 
kind.  They  are  performed  without  either  saddle,  bridle, 
whip,  Of  spur ;  and  yet  the  horses  are  said  to  run  full 
speed,  and  lo  afford  a  great  deal  of  diversion.  They  are 
accustomed  to  tlie  ground  for  some  weeks  before  ;  and 
although  it  is  entirely  Over  rock  and  pavement,  there  are 
very  seldom  any  accidents.  They  have  races  of  asses 
and  mules  performed  in  the  same  manner,  four  times 
every  year.  The  rider  is  only  furnished  with  a  machine 
like  a  shoemaker's  awl,  to  prick  on  his  courser  if  he  i's 
lazy. 

As  Malta  is  an  epitome  of  all  Europe,  and  an  assem- 
blage of  the  younger  brothers,  who  are  commonly  the 
best,  of  its  first  families,  it  is  probably  one  of  the  besj 
academies  for  politeness  in  this  part  of  the  globe ;  be^ 
sides,  where  every  one  is  entitled  by  law  as  well  as  cus- 
tom, to  demand  satisfaction  for  the  least  breach  of  it, 
people  are  under  the  necessity  of  being  very  exact  and 
circunispect,  both  with  regard  to  their  words  and  actions. 

All  the  knights  and  commanders  have  much  the  ap- 
|>sarance  of  gentlemen,  and  men  of  the  world.  We  met 
with  no  character  in  the  extreme.  The  ridicules  and 
prejudices  of -every  particular  nation  are  by  degrees  soft- 
ened and  wore  off,  by  the  familiar  intercourse  and  colli- 
sion with  each  other.  It  is  curious  to  observe  the  effect 
it  produces  upon  the  various  people  that  compose  this 
little  medley.  The  French  skip,  the  German  strut,  and 
the  Spanish  stalk,  are  all  mingled  together  in  such  small 
proportions  that  none  of  them  are  striking;  yet  every  one 
of  these  nations  still  retain  something  of  their  original 
characteristic:  it  is  only  the  exuberance  of  it  that  is 
wore  off;  and  it  is  still  easy  to  distinguish  the  inhabitants 
of  the  south  and  north  side  of  tlie  Pyrenees,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  east  and  west  side  of  the  Rhine  ;  for  t*hough 
the  Parisian  has,  in  a  great  measure,  lost  his  assuming 
^airJ  the  Spaniard  his  taciturnity  and  solemnity,  the  Gei:- 


142  J  Tour  through 

man  his  formality  and  his  pride ;  yet,  still  yo\3  see  th6 
German,  the  Frenchman,  and  the  Spaniard  :  it  is  only  the 
caricature,  that  formerly  made  them  ridiculous,  that  has 
disappeared. 

This  institution,  which  is  a  strange  compound  of  the 
military  arid  ecclesiastic,  has  now  subsisted  for  near  seven 
hundred  years;  and  though,  I  believe,  one  of  the  first- 
born, has  long  survived  every  other  child  of  chivalry.—- 
It  pr>ssesses  t^feat  riches  in  most  of  the  catholic  countries 
of  Europe  ;  and  did  so  in  England  too,  before  the  time  of 
Henry  VIII.  but  that  capricious  tyrant  did  not  choose 
that  any  institution,  however  ancient  or  respected,  should 
remain  in  his  dominions,  that  had  any  doubt  of  his  supre- 
macy and  infallibility ;  he  therefore  seized  on  all  their 
possessions,  at  the  same  time  that  he  enriched  himself 
by  the  plunder  of  the  church.  It  was  in  vain  for  them 
to  plead  that  they  were  rather  a  military  than  an  ecclesi- 
astic order,  and  by  their  valour  had  been  of  great  service 
to  Europe,  in  their  wars  against  the  infidels :  it  was  not 
■agreeable  to  his  system  ever  to  hear  a  reason  for  any 
thing;  and  no  persrjn  could  possibly  be  right,  that  was 
capable  of  supposing  that  the  king  could  be  wrong. 

Malta,  as  well  hs  Sicily,  was  long  under  the  tyranny  of 
the  Saracens  :  from  which  they  were  both  delivered  about 
the  middle  of  the  eleventh  century,  by  the  valour  of  the 
Normans :  after  which  time  the  fate  of  Malta  commonly 
depended  on  ihst  of  Sicily,  till  the  emperor  Charles  V. 
about  the  year  15 "10,  gave  it,  together  with  the  island  of 
Gozzo,  to  the  knia:hrs  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  who  at 
that  time  had  lost  the  island  of  Rhodes.  In  testimony 
of  this  concession,  the  grand  master  is  still  obliged  every 
year  to  send  a  falcon  to  the  king  of  Sicily,  or  his  viceroy  ; 
and  on  every  nev/  accession  to  swear  allegiance,  and  to 
receive  from  the  hands  of  the  Sicilian  monarch  the  in- 
vestiture of  these  two  islands. 

Ever  since  our  arrival  here,  the  weather  has  been  per- 
fectly clear  and  serene,  without  a  cloud  in  the  sky  ;  and 
for  some  time  after  sun-set,  the  heavens  exhibit  a  most 
beautiful  appearance^  which  I  don*t  recollect  to  have  ob- 
served anv  where  else.  The  eastern  pnrt  of  the  hemis- 
phere appears  of  a  rich  deep  purple,  and  the  western  is 
the  true  yellow  glow  of  Claud  Lorrain,  that  you  used  t6 
admire  so  much.     Th©  weather,  however,  is  not  intolera^ 


^ciiy  and  Malta.  H^S 

My  hot;  the  thermometer  stands  commonly  betwixt  75 
and  76.  Adieu.  We  are  now  preparing  for  a  long  voy- 
age, and  it  is  not  easy  to  say  from  w  hence  I  shall  write 
^ou  next.  Ever  ycur». 


BETTER  XVII. 


Agrigentum^  June  11 . 

WE  left  the  port  of  Malta  in  a  Sparonaro,  which  we 
hired  to  convey  us  to  this  city. 

We  coasted  along  the  island,  and  went-  to  take  a  view 
of  the  north  port,  its  fortifications  and  lazaretto.  All 
these  are  very  p^reat,  and  more  like  the  works  of  a  mightjr 
and  powerful  people,  than  of  so  small  a  state  The  mor- 
tars cut  out  of  the  rock  are  a  tremendous  invention — 
There  are  about  fifty  of  their,  near  the  different  creeks 
and  landing-places  round  the  island.  They  are  directed 
<it  the  most  probable  spots  where  boats  would  aitentpt  a 
landing.  The  mouths  of  some  of  these  mortars  are  about 
six  feet  wide,  and  they  are  said  to  throw  a  hundred  can- 
tars  of  cannon-ball  or  stones.  A  cantar  is,  I  think,  about 
a  hundred  pounds  weight ;  so  that  if  they  do  take  placej 
they  must  make  a  dreadful  huvock  amongst  a  debarkatioa 
of  boats. 

The  distance  of  Malta  from  Gozzo  is  not  above  four 
or  five  miles,  and  the  small  island  of  Commino  lies  be- 
twixt thorn.  The  coasts  of  all  the  three  are  bare  and 
barren  but  covered  over  with  lowers,  redoubts,  and  forti- 
fications of  various  kinds. 

As  Gozzo  is  supposed  to  be  the  celebrated  island  of 
Calypso,  you  may  believe  we  expected  something  very 
fine  ;  but  we  were  diitppointed.  It  must  either  be  greatly 
fallen  off  since  the  tin)e  she  inhabited  it,  or  the  archbi- 
shop of  Combray,  as  well  as  Homer,  must  have  flattered 
greatly  in  their  painting.  We  lookrd  as  we  went  along 
the  coast,  for  the  grotto  of  the  goddess,  but  could  see  no- 
thing that  resembled  it.  Neither  could  we  observe  those 
verdant  banks  eternally  covered  with  flowers  j  nor  those 


\4%  A  Tour  through 

Ibfty  trees  for  ever  in  blossom,  that  lost  their  heads  In 
the  clouds,  and  afforded  a  shade  to  the  sacred  baths  <^f 
her  and  her  nymphs.  We  saw,  indeed,  some  nymphs  ; 
but  as  neither  Calypso  nor  Eucharis  seemed  to  be  of  the 
number,  we  paid  little  attention  to  them,  and  I  was  in  no 
apprehension  about  my  Telemachus :  Indeed,  it  -would 
have  required  an  imagination  as  stronij  as  Don  Quixote's 
to  have  brought  about  the  metamorphosis. 

Finding  our  hopes  frustrated,  we  ordered  our  sailors 
{o  pull  out  to  sea,  and  bid  adieu  to  the  island  of  Calypso, 
concluding  either  that  our  intelligence  was  false,  or  that 
both  the  island  and  its  inhabitants  were  greatly  changed. 
We  soon  found  ourselves  once  more  at  the  mercy  of  the 
waves  :  Night  came  on,  andtDur  rowers  began  their  even- 
ing song  to  the  Virgin,  and  beat  time  with  their  oars. 
Their  offering  was  acceptable  ;  for  we  had  the  most  de- 
lightful weather.  We  wrapt  ourselves  up  in  our  cloaks, 
and  slept  most  comfortably,  having  provided  mattresses 
at  Malta.  By  a  little  after  day-break,  we  found  we  had 
got  without  sight  of  all  the  islands,  and  saw  only  a  part 
of  Mount  ilitna  smoking  above  the  waters.  The  wind 
sprung  up  fair,  and  by  ten  o'clock  we  had  sight  of  the 
coa9t  of  Sicily. 

On  considering  the  smallness  of  our  boat,  and  the  great 
breadth  of  this  passage,  we  could  not  help  admiring  the 
temerity  of  these  people,  who,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
venture  to  Sicily  in  these  diminitive  vessels ;  yet  it  is 
very  seldom  that  any  accident  happens  ;  they  are  so  per- 
fectly acquainted  with  the  weather,  foretelling,  almost  to 
a  certainty,  every  storm  many  hours  before  it  comes  on. 
The  sailors  look  upon  this  passage  as  one  of  the  most 
stormy  and  dangerous  in  the  Mediterranean.  It  is  called 
the  canal  of  Malta,  and  is  much  dreaded  by  the  Levant 
ships;  but  indeed,  at  this  season,  there  is  no  danger. 

We  arrived  at  Sicily  a  little  before  sun-set,  and  landed 
opposite  to  Ragusa,  and  not  far  from  the  ruins  of  "the 
Little  Hybla;  the  third  town  of  that  name  in  the  island,- 
distinguished  by  the  epithets  of  the  Great  (near  Mount 
JEltna),  the  Lesser  (near  Augusta),  and  the  Little  (just  by 
Ragusa).  Here  we  found  a  fine  sandy  beach,  and  whilst 
the  servants  were  employed  in  dressing  supper,  we 
amused  ourselves  with  bathing,  and  gathering  shells,  of 
which  there  is  a  considerable  variety.    We  were  in  ex-- 


Sicilij  and  Malta.  145 

pectation  of  finding  the  nautilus,  for  which  this  island  is 
famous;  but  in  this  we  did  not  succeed.  However,  we 
picked  up  some  handsome  shells,  though  not  equal  to 
those  that  are  brought  from  the  Indies. 

After  supper  we  again  launched  our  bark,  and  went  to 
sea.  The  wind  was  favourable  as  we  could  wish.  We 
had  our  nightly  serenade  as  usual^  and  the  next  day,  by- 
twelve  o'clock,  we  reached  the  celebrated  port  of  Agri- 
gentum. 

The  captain  of  the  port  gave  us  a  polite  reception,  and 
insisted  on  accompanying  us  to  the  city,  which  stands 
near  the  top  of  a  mountain,  four  miles  distant  from  the 
harbour,  and  about  eleven  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  The  road  on  each  side  is  bordered  by  a  row  of 
exceeding  large  American  aloes  ;  upwards  of  one  third 
of  them  being  at  present  in  full  blow,  and  making  the 
most  beautiful  appearance  that  can  be  imagined.  The 
flower-stems  of  this  noble  plant  are,  in  general,  betwixt 
twenty  and  thirty  feet  high  (some  of  ihem  more),  and 
are  covered  with  flowers  from  lop  to  bottom,  which  taper 
regularly,  and  form  a  beautiful  kind  of  pyramid,  the  base 
or  pedestal  of  which  is  the  fine  spreading  leaves  of  the 
plant.  As  this  is  esteemed,  in  northern  countries,  one 
of  the  greatest  curiosities  of  the  vegetable  tribe,  we  were 
happy  at  seeing  it  in  so  great  perfection ;  much  greater, 
I  think,  than  I  had  ever  seen  it  before. 

With  us,  I  think,  it  is  vulgarly  reckoned  (though  I  be- 
lieve falsely)  that  they  only  flower  once  in  a  hundred 
years.  Here  I  was  informed,  that,  ^  at  the  latest,  they 
always  blow  the  sixth  year ;  but  for  the  most  part  the 
fifth. 

As  the  whole  substance  of  the  plant  is  carried  into  the 
stem  and  the  flowers,  the  leaves  begin  to  decay,  as  soon 
as  the  blow  is  completed,  and  a  numerous  offspring  of 
young  plants  are  produced  round  the  root  of  the  old  one  : 
these  are  slipped  off,  and  formed  into  new  plantations, 
either  for  hedges  or  for  avenues  to  their  country  houses. 

The  city  of  Agrigentum,  now  called  Girgeniiy  is  irre- 
gular and  ugly ;  though  from  a  few  miles  distance  at  sea, 
it  makes  a  noble  appearance,  little  inferior  to  that  of 
Genoa.  As  it  lies  on  the  slope  of  the  mountain,  the 
houses  do  not  hide  one  another  j  but  every  part  of  the 
city  is  seen. 

O 


146  A  Tour  through 

On  our  arrival  we  found  a  great  falling  off  indeed ;  the 
houses  are  mean,  the  streets  dirty,  crooked  and  narrow. 
— It  still  contains  near  twenty  thousand  people ;  a  sad 
reduction  from  its  ancient  grandeur,  when  it  was  said  to 
consist  of  no  less  than  eight  hundred  thousand,  being  the 
next  city  to  Syracuse  for  numbers. 

The  Canonico  Spoto,  from  Mr.  Hamilton's  letter,  and 
from  our  former  acquaintance  with  him  at  Naples^  gave 
us  a  kind  and  hospitable  reception.  He  insisted  on  our 
being  his  guests;  and  we  are  now  in  his  house,  comforta- 
bly lodged,  and  elegantly  entertained,  which,  after  our 
crowded  little  apartment  in  the  Sparonaro,  is  by  no 
jTieans  a  disagreeable  change. — Farewell.  I  shall  write 
you  again  soon.  Ever  yours. 


LETTER  XVIII. 


Agrigcntuvi^  June  12. 

WE  are  just  returned  from  examining  the  antiquities 
of  Agrigentum,  the  most  considerable,  perhaps, 
of  any  in  Sicily. 

The  ruins  of  the  ancient  city  lie  about  a  short  mile 
from  the  modern  one.  These,  like  the  ruins  of  Syracuse, 
are  mostly  converted  into  corn-fields,  vineyards,  and  or- 
chards ;  but  the  remains  of  the  temples  here  are  much 
more  conspicuous  than  those  of  Syracuse.  Four  of  these 
have  stood  pretty  much  in  a  right  line,  near  the  south 
wall  of  the  ciiy  The  first  they  call  the  temple  of  Ve- 
nus ;  almost  one  half  of  which  still  remains.  The  second 
is  that  of  Concord  :  It  may  be  considered  as  entire,  not 
one  column  having  as  yet  fallen.  It  is  precisely  of  the 
same  dimensions  and  same  architecture  as  that  of  Venus, 
which  had  probably  served  as  the  model  for  it.  By  the 
following  inscription,  found  on  a  large  piece  of  marble, 
it  appears  to  have  been  built  at  the  cxpence  of  the  Lili- 
bitani ;  probably  after  having  been  defeated  by  the  people 
of  Agrigentum. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  147 

Cb?yCORDIiE  AGRIGEN TINORUM  SACRUM, 
RESPUBLIGA  LILIBITAXORUM. 
DEDICANTIBUS  M.  AT  lERlO  CANDIDO 
PHOCOS  El'  L.  COilNELIO  MAR- 
CELLO.  Q.  P.  R.  P.  R. 

These  temples  are  supported  by  thirteen  large  fluted 
Doric  columns  on  each  side  ;  and  six  at  each  end.  All 
their  b^ses,  capitals,  entablatures,  8cc,  still  remain  entire; 
and  as  the  architecture  is  perfectly  simple,  without  any 
thing  affected  or  studied,  the  whole  strikes  the  eye  at 
once,  and  pleases  very  much.  The  columns  are,  indeed, 
shorter  than  the  Doric  proportions ;  and  they  certainly 
are  not  so  elegant  as  some  of  the  ancient  temples  near 
Rome,  and  in  other  places  in  Italy. 

The  third  ten^ple  is  that  of  Hercules,  altogether  in 
ruins ;  but  appears  to  have  been  of  a  much  greater  size 
than  the  former  two.  We  measured  some  of  the  broken 
columns,  near  seven  feet  in  diameter.  It  vias  here  that 
the  famous  statue  of  Hercules  stood,  so  much  celebrated 
by  Cicero;  which  the  people  of  Agrigentum  defended 
with  such  bravery  against  Verres,  who  attempted  to 
seize  it.  You  will  find  the  whole  story  in  his  pleadings 
agiiinst  that  infamous  praetor. 

There  was  likewise  in  this  temple  a  famous  picture  by 
Zeuxis.  Hercules  was  represented  in  his  cradle,  killing 
the  two  serpents  :  Alcmena  and  Amphitrion,  having  just 
entered  the  apartment,  were  painted  with  every  mark  of 
terror  and  astonishment.  Pliny  says,  the  painter  looked 
upon  this  piece  as  invaluable  ;  and  therefore  could  never 
bs  prevailed  on  to  put  a  price  upon  it,  but  gave  it  as  a 
present  to  Agrigentum,  to  be  placed  in  the  temple  ^^ 
Hercules.  These  two  great  masterpieces  ha^c  been  lost. 
We  thought  of  them  with  reg-r^'t  wlillst  we  trod  on  those 
venerable  ruins. 

Near  to  thio  He  the  ruins  of  the  temple  of  Jupiter  Olym- 
pus, supposed  by  the  Sicilian  authors  to  have  been  the 
largest  in  the  heathen  world.  It  is  now  called  il  temfilo 
de'  ^i^anti,  or  the  Giant's  Temple,  as  the  poor  people 
cannot  conceive  that  such  masses  of  rock  could  ever  be 
put  together  by  the  hands  of  ordinary  men.  The  frag- 
ments of  columns  are  indeed  enormous,  and  give  us  a 
vast  idea  of  this  fabric.  It  is  said  to  have  stood  till  the 
ysAr.  1 100;  but  is  now  a  perfect  ruin.     Our  Cicerones 


14'8  A  Tour  through 

assured  us,  it  was  exactly  the  same  dimensions  with  the 
church  of  St.  Peters  at  Rome :  But  in  this  they  are  egre- 
giously  mistaken  ;  St.  Peters  being  much  greater  than  any 
thing  that  ever  the  heathen  world  produced. 

There  arc  the  remains  of  many  more  temples,  an^ 
other  great  works ;  but  these,  I  think,  are  the  most  con- 
spicuous. They  shew  you  that  of  Vulcan,  of  Proserpine, 
of  Castor  and  Pollux,  and  a  very  remarkable  one  of  Juno. 
This  too  was  enriched  by  one  of  the  most  famous  pictures 
of  antiquity  ;  which  is  celebrated  by  many  of  the  ancient 
writers — Zeuxis  was  determined  to  excel  every  thing^ 
that  had  gone  before  him,  and  to  form  a  model  of  human 
perfection.  To  this  end,  he  prevailed  on  all  the  finest 
women  of  A^rigentum,  who  were  even  ambitious  of  the 
honour,  to  appear  naked  before  him.  Of  these  he  chose 
five  for  his  models,  and  moulding  all  the  perfections  of 
these  beauties  into  one,  he  composed  the  picture  of  the 
goddess.  This  was  ever  looked  upon  as  his  masterpiece; 
but  was  unfortunately  burnt  when  the  Carthaginians  took. 
Agrigentum  Many  of  the  citizens  reiired  into  this 
temple  as  to  a  place  of  safety ;  but  as  soon  as  they  found 
the  gates  attacked  by  the  enemy,  they  agreed  to  set  fire 
to  it,  and  chose  rather  to  perish  in  the  flames,  than  sub- 
mit to  the  power  of  the  conquerors.  However,  neither 
ihe  destrucdon  of  the  temple,  nor  the  loss  of  their  lives, 
has  been  so  much  regretted  by  posterity,  as  the  loss  of 
this  picture. 

The  temple  of  jEsculapius  (the  ruins  of  which  are  still 
to  be  seen)  was  not  less  celebrated  for  a  statue  of  Apollo. 
It  was  taken  from  them  by  the  Carthae;inians  at  the  same 
time  that  the  temple  of  Juno  was  burnt.  It  was  carried 
off  by  ih«  conquerors,  and  continued  the  greatest  orna- 
ment of  Carthage  {"or  many  years,  and  was  at  last  restored 
by  Scipio  at  the  final  destruction  of  that  city.  Some  of 
the  Sicilians  alledge,  I  believe  without  any  ground,  that 
it  was  aftewards  carried  to  Rome,  and  still  remains  there, 
the  wonder  of  all  ages,  known  to  the  whole  world  under 
the  name  of  the  Apollo  of  Belvidere  ;  and  allowed  to  be 
the  perfection  of  human  art. 

I  should  be  very  tedious,  were  I  to  give  you  a  minute 
description  of  every  piece  of  antiquity.  Indeed,  little  or 
nothing  is  to  be  learned  from  the  greatest  part  of  them. 
The  ancient  walls  of  the  city  are  mostly  cut  out  of  the 


Sicily  and  Malta.  14.9 

cock ;  the  catacombs  and  sepulchres  are  all  very 
great :  One  of  these  is  worthy  particular  notice,  because 
it  is  mentioned  by  Polybius  as  being  opposite  to  tl^e  tem- 
ple of  Hercules,  and  to  have  been  struck  by  lightning 
even  in  his  time.  It  remains  almost  entire,  and  answers 
the  description  he  gives  of  it ;  The  inscriptions  are  so 
defaced*  that  we  could  make  nothing  of  them. 

This  is  the  monument  of  Tero  king  of  Agrigentum, 
one  of  the  first  of  the  Sicilian  tyrants.  The  great  antiqui- 
ty of  it  may  be  gathered  from  this,  that  Tero  is  not  only 
mentioned  by  Diodorus,  Polybius,  and  the  later  of  the 
ancient  historians,  but  likewise  by  Herodotus,  and  Pindar, 
who  dedicates  two  of  his  Olynr.pic  odes  to  him :  So  that 
this  monument  must  be  more  than  two  thousand  years 
old.  It  is  a  kind  of  pyramid,  probably  one  of  the  most 
durable  forms. 

All  these  mighty  ruins  of  Agrigentum,  and  the  whola 
mountain  on  which  it  stands,  are  composed  of  a  toncretion 
of  sea-shells  run  together,  and  cemented  by  a  kind  of 
sand  or  gravel,  and  now  become  as  hard,  and  perhaps 
more  durable  than  even  marble  itself.  This  stone  is  while 
before  it  has  been  exposed  to  the  air ;  but  in  the  tem- 
ples and  other  ruins,  it  is  become  of  a  dark  brown.  I 
shall  bring  home  some  pieces  of  it  for  the  inspection  of 
the  curious.  I  found  these  shells  on  the  very  summit 
of  the  mountain,  at  least  fourteen  or  fifteen  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  They  are  of  the  commonest 
kinds,  cockles,  muscles,  oysters,  Sec. 

"  The  things  we  know  are  neither  rich  nor  rare ; 
"  Bat  wonder  how  the  devil  they  got  there." 

POPE. 

By  what  means  they  have  been  lifted  up  to  this  vast 
height,  and  so  intimately  mixed  with  the  substance  of 
the  rock,  I  leave  to  you  and  your  philosophical  friends 
to  determine  < — This  old  battered  globe  of  ours  has  pro- 
bably suffered  many  convulsions  not  recorded  in  any  his- 
tory.— You  have  heard  of  the  vast  stratum  of  bones  lately 
discovered  in  Istria  and  Ossero: — part  of  it  runs  below 
rocks  of  marble,  upwards- of  forty  feet  in  thickness,  and 
they  have  not  yet  been  able  to  ascertain  its  extent:  Some- 
thing of  the  same  kind  has  been  found  in  Dalmatia,  ia 
the  islands  of  the  Archipelago ;  and  lately,  I  am  told^  m 


150  A  'four  ihrougk 

the  rock  of  Gibraltar. — Now,  the  deluge  recorded  in 
Scripture,  will  hardly  account  for  all  the  appearances  of 
this  sort  to  be  met  with,  almost  in  every  country  in  the 
world  — But  I  am  interrupted  by  visitors ; — which  is  a 
lucky  circumstance,  both  for  you  and  me  ;  for  I  was  just 
going  to  be  very  philosophical,  and  consequently  very 
dull.     Adieu. 


LETTEB  XIX. 


jigrigentumyJune\2. 

THE  interruption  in  my  last,  was  a  deputation  from 
the  bishop,  to  invite  us  to  a  great  dinner  to-morrow 
at  the  port ;  so  that  we  shall  know  whether  this  place 
still  deserves  the  character  of  luxury  it  always  held  a- 
mongst  the  ancients.  We  have  great  reason  to  think, 
from  the  politeness  and  attention  we  have  met  with, 
that  it  has  never  lost  its  ancient  hospitality,  for  which  it 
was  likewise  so  much  celebrated. 

Plato,  when  he  visited  Sicily,  was  so  much  struck  with 
the  luxury  of  Agrigentum,  both  in  their  houses  and  their 
tables,  that  a  saying  of  his  is  still  recorded  ;  that  ihey 
build  as  if  they  were  never  to  die,  and  eat  as  if  they  had 
not  an  hour  to  live.  It  is  preserved  by  iElian,  and  is  just 
now  before  me. 

He  tells  a  story  by  way  of  illustration,  which  shews  a 
much  greater  conformity  of  manners,  than  one  could  have 
expected,  betwixt  the  young  nobility  amongst  the  anci- 
ents, and  our  own  at  this  day. 

He  says,  that  after  a  great  feast,  where  there  was  a 
number  of  young  people  of  the  first  fashion,  they  got  all 
so  much  intoxicated,  that  from  their  reeling  and  tumbling 
upon  one  another,  they  imagined  they  were  at  sea,  in  a 
storm,  and  began  to  think  themselves  in  the  most  immi- 
nent danger :  at  last  they  agreed,  that  the  only  way  to 
save  their  lives  was  to  lighten  the  ship,  and  with  one  ac- 
cord began  to  throw  the  rich  furniture  out  of  the  windows, 
to  the  great  edification  of  the  mob  below ',  and  did  not  stop 


Sicily  and  Malta  151 

till  they  had  entirely  cleared  the  house  of  it,  which,  from 
this  exploit,  was  ever  after  denominated  the  triremes,  or 
the  ship.  He  says  it  was  one  of  the  principal  palaces  of 
the  city,  and  retained  this  name  for  ever.  In  Dublin,  I 
have  been  told,  there  are  more  than  one  triremes  ;  and 
that  this  frolic,  which  they  call  throwing  the  house  out  of 
the  window,  is  by  no  means  uncommon. 

At  the  same  time  that  Agrigentum  is  abused  by  the 
ancient  authors  for  its  drunkenness,  it  is  as  much  cele- 
brated for  its  hospitality  ;  and,  I  believe,  it  will  be  found, 
that  this  virtue,  and  this  vice,  have  ever  had  a  sort  of 
sneaking  kindness  for  each  other,  and  have  generally 
gone  hand  in  hand,  both  in  ancient  and  in  modern  times. 
The  Swiss,  the  Scots,  and  the  Irish,  who  are  at  present 
the  most  drunken  people  in  Europe,  are  likewise,  in  all 
probability,  the  most  hospitable ;  whereas,  in  the  very 
sober  countries,  Spain,  Portugal,  and  Italy,  hospitality  is 
a  virtue  very  little  known,  or  indeed  any  other  virtue,  ex- 
cept sobriety  ;  which  has  been  produced,  probably  a  good 
deal  from  the  tyranny  of  their  government,  and  their 
dread  of  the  inquisition;  for  where  every  person  is  in 
fear,  lest  his  real  sentiments  should  appear,  it  would  be 
very  dangerous  to  unlock  his  heart ;  but  in  countries  where 
there  are  neither  civil  nor  ecclesiastical  tyrants  to  lay  an 
embirgo  on  our  thoughts,  people  are  under  no  apprehen- 
sion lest  they  should  be  known. 

However,  these  are  not  the  only  reasons.  The  moral 
virtues  and  vices  may  sometimes  depend  on  natural 
causes. — The  very  elevated  situation  of  this  city,  where, 
the  air  is  exceedingly  thin  and  cold,  has  perhaps  been 
one  reason  why  its  inhabitants  are  fonder  of  wine  than 
their  neighbours  in  the  valleys. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  the  three  nations  I  have  men- 
tioned ;  the  greatest  part  of  their  countries  lying  amongst 
hills  and'mountains,  where  the  climate  renders  strong  li- 
quors more  necessary ;  or  at  least,  less  pernirious,  than 
in  low  places — It  is  not  surprising  that  this  practice^ 
probably  begun  amongst  the  mountains,  where  the  air  is 
so  keen,  has  by  degrees  crept  down  into  the  valleys,  und 
has  at  last  become  almost  epidemical  in  those  c  untrics.  ^' 

Fazzello,  after  railing  at  Agrigentum  for  its  drunken- 
ness, adds,  that  there  was  no  town  in  the  island  so  cele- 
brated for  its  hospitality.    He  says  that  ngiany  of  the  nd^ 


152  A  Tour  through 

bles  had  servants  placed  at  the  gates  of  the  city,  to  invite 
all  strangers  to  their  houses.  It  is  in  reference  to  this, 
probably,  that  Empedocles  says,  that  even  the  gates  of 
the  city  proclaimed  a  welcome  to  every  stranger.  From 
our  experience  we  are  well  entitled  to  say,  that  the  peo- 
ple of  Agrigentum  still  retain  this  antiquated  virtue,  so 
little  known  in  polite  countries.  To-morrow  we  shall 
have  a  better  opportunity  of  judging  whether  it  is  still 
accompiinied  by  its  sister  vice. 

The  accounts  that  the  old  authors  give  of  the  magnifi- 
cence of  Agrigentum  are  amazing ;  though  indeed  there 
are  none  of  them  that  proclaim  it  in  stronger  terms  than 
the  monuments  that  still  remain. — Diodorus  says,  the 
great  vessels  for  holding  water  were  commonly  of  silver, 
and  the  litters  and  Carriages  for  the  most  part  were  of 
ivory  richly  adorned.  He  mentions  a  pond  made  at  an 
immense  expence,  full  of  fish  and  of  water  fowl,  that  in 
his  time  was  the  great  resort  of  the  inhabitants  on  their 
festivals ;  but  he  says,  that  even  then  (in  the  age  of  Au- 
gustus) it  was  going  to  ruin,  requiring  too  great  an  ex- 
pence  to  keep  it  up.  There  is  not  now  the  smallest  vestige 
of  it :  But  there  is  still  to  be  seen  a  curious  spring  of  wa- 
ter, that  throws  up  a  kind  of  oil  on  its  surface,  which  is 
made  use  of  by  the  poor  people,  in  many  diseases.  This 
is  supposed  to  mark  out  the  place  of  the  celebrated  pond  ; 
ivhich  is  recorded  by  Pliny  and  Solinus  to  have  abounded 
with  this  oil. 

Diodorus,  speaking  of  the  riches  of  Agrigentum,  men- 
tions one  of  its  citizens  returning  victorious  from  the 
Olympic  games,  and  entering  his  city  attended  by  three 
hundred  chariots,  each  drawn  by  four  white  horses  richly 
©aparisoned ;  and  gives  many  other  instances  of  their 
vast  profusion  and  luxury. 

Those  horses,  ascording  to  that  author,  were  esteemed 
all  over  Greece  for  their  beauty  and  swiftness  ;  and  thetr 
jacc  is  celebrated  by  many  of  the  ancient  writers. 

"  Arduus  inde  Agragas  ostentat  niaxiina  longe 

*'  Moenia,  magnanimum  quondam  generator  equorum,'* 

says  Virgil  in  the  third  ^niad ;  and  Pliny  acquaints  us» 
that  those  which  had  been  often  victorious  at  the  games, 
were  not  only  honoured  with  burial  rites,  but  had  magni- 
ficent monuments  erected  to  eternize  their  memory.*— 


Sicily  and  Malta.  15S 

This  Timeus  confirms :  He  tells  us,  that  he  saw  at  Agri- 
gentum  several  pyramids  built  as  sepulchral  monuments 
to  celebrated  horses :  He  adds,  that  when  those  animals 
became  old  and  unfit  for  service,  ihey  were  always  taken 
care  of,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives  in  ease 
and  plenty. — I  could  wish  that  our  countrymen  would 
imitate  the  gratitude  and  humanity  of  the  Sicilians  in  this 
article  ;  at  least  the  latter  part  of  it.  I  don*t  knov/  that 
our  nation  can  so  justly  be  taxed  with  cruelty  or  ingrati- 
tude in  any  other  article  as  in  their  treatment  of  horses, 
the  animal  that  of  all  others  is  the  most  entitled  to  our 
eare.  How  piteovis  a  thing  it  is,  on  many  of  your  great 
roads,  to  see  the  finest  old  hunters,  that  were  once  the 
glory  of  the  chase,  condemned,  in  the  decline  of  life,  to 
the  tyranny  of  the  most  cruel  oppresors  ;  io  whose  hands 
they  suffer  the  most  extreme  misery,  till  they  at  last  sink 
under  the  task  that  is  assigned  ihem.  I  am  called  away 
to  see  some. more  antiques,  but  shall  finish  this  letter  to- 
night, as  the  post  goes  off*  for  Italy  to-morrow  morning. 

13rA,  afternoon.  We  have  seen  a  great  many  old  walls 
and  vaults,  that  little  or  nothing  can  be  made  of.  They 
give  them  names,  and  pretend  to  tell  you  what  they  were, 
but  as  they  bear  no  resemblance  to  those  things  now.  it 
would  be  no  less  idle  to  trouble  you  with  their  nonsense 
than  to  believe  it.  We  have  indeed  seen  one  thing  that 
has  amply  repaid  us  for  thetroubre  we  have  taken.  It  is 
the  representation  of  a  boar-hunting,  in  alto  relievo,  on 
white  marble  ;  and  is  at  least  equ'.sl,  if  not  superior,  to  any 
thing  of  the  kind  I  have  met  with  in  Italy.  It  consists  of 
four  diff*erent  parts,  which  form  the  history  of  this'  re- 
markable chase  and  its  consequences. 

The  first  is  the  preparation  for  the  hunt.  There  are 
twelve  hunters,  with  each  his  lance,  and  a  short  hanger 
under  his  left  arm  of  a  very  singular  form  The  dogs  re- 
semble those  we  call  lurchers.  The  horses  are  done  with 
great  fire  and  spirit,  and  are  perhaps  a  better  proof  of 
the  excellence  of  the  race,  than  even  the  testimony  of  their 
authors;  for  the  artist  that  formed  these  must  certainly 
have  been  accustomed  to  see  very  fine  horses. 

The  second  piece  represents  the  chase. — The  third  the 
death  of  the  king,  by  a  fall  from  his  horse. — And  the  fourth 
the  despair  of  the  queen  and  her  alfendants  on  receiving 
the  news.  She  is  represented  as  falling  down  in  a  swoon^ 
and  supported  by  her  women,  who  are  all  in  tears. 


1.'54  A  Tour  throusck 


'£>' 


It  is  executed  in  the  most  masterly  style,  and  is  iii- 
deed  one  of  the  finest  remains  of  antiquity.  It  is  pre- 
served in  the  grcdt  church,  which  is  noted  througjh  all 
Sicilv  for  a  remarkable  echo  ;  something  in  the  manner 
of  our  whispering  gallery  at  St.  Paurs,  though  more 
difficult  to  be  accounted  for. 

If  one  person  stands  at  the  west  gate,  and  another 
places  himself  on  the  cornice,  at  the  most  distant  point 
of  the  church,  exactly  behind  the  great  altar,  they  can 
hold  a  conversation  in  very  low  whispi  rs. 

For  many  years  this  singularity  whs  little  known  ;  and 
several  of  the  confessing  chairs  being  placed  near  the  great 
altar,  the  wags,  who  were  in  the  secret,  used  to  take  their 
station  at  the  door  of  the  cathedral ;  and  by  this  means 
heard  di=.tinctly  every  word  that  passed  betwixt  the  con- 
fessor and  his  penitent;  of  which,  you  may  believe,  they 
did  not  fail  to  make  their  own  use  when  occasion  offered. 
—  The  most  secret  intrigues  were  discovered  ;  and  every 
woman  in  Agrigentum  changed  either  her  gallant  or  her 
confessor.  Yet  still  it  was  the  same — At  last,  however, 
the  cause  was  found  out :  the  chairs  were  removed,  and 
other  precautions  were  taken,  to  prevent  the  discovery  of 
these  sacred  ^Tiysteries  ;  and  a  mutual  amnesty  passed  a- 
mongst  all  the  offended  parties. 

Agrigentum,  like  Syracuse,  was  long  subject  to  the 
yoke  of  tyrants.  Fazzello  gives  some  account  of  their 
cruelty,  but  I  have  no  intention  of  repeating  it;  one  story, 
however,  pleased  me  ;  it  is  a  well  known  one,  but  as  it  is 
short,  you  shall  have  it. 

Perillo,  a  goldsmith,  by  way  of  payin;?^  court  to  Pha- 
laris  the  tyrant,  made  him  a  present  of  a  brazen  bull, 
of  admirable  workmanship  ;  hollow  within,  and  so  con- 
trived that  the  voice  of  a  person  shut  up  in  it.  soiHided 
exactly  like  the  bellowing  of  a  real  bull.  The  artist 
pointed  out  to  the  tyrant  what  an  admirable  effect  this 
must  produce,  were  he  only  to  shut  up  a  few  criminals 
in  it,  and  make  a  fire  under  them. 

Phalaris,  struck  with  so  horrid  an  idea,  and  perhaps  cu- 
rious to  try  the  experiment,  told  the  goldsmith  that  he 
himself  was  the  only  person  worthy  of  animating  his  bull : 
that  he  must  have  studied  the  note  that  made  it  roar  to  the 
greatest  advantage,  and  that  it  would  be  unjust  to  deprive 
Uiin  of  any  part  of  the  honour  of  his  invention.     Upon 


Sicily  and  Malta.  155 

which  he  ordened  the  goldsmith  to  be  shut  up,  and  made 
a  great  fire  around  the  bull;  which  immediately  began  to 
roar,  to  the  admiration  and  delight  of  all  Agrigentum. 
Cicero  says,  this  bull  was  carried  to  Carthage  at  the 
taking  of  Agrigentum  ;  and  was  restored  again  by  Scipio 
after  the  destruction  of  that  city. 

Fazzello  adds  another  story,  which  is  still  more  to  the 
honour  of  Phalaris.  Two  friends,  Melanippus  and  Cari- 
ton,  had  conspired  his  death.  Cariton,  in  hopes  of  saving 
his  friend  from  the  danger  of  the  enterprize,  determined 
to  execute  it  alone.  However,  in  his  attempt  to  poignard 
the  tyrant,  he  was  seized  by  the  guards,  and  immediately 
put  to  the  torture,  to  make  him  confess  his  accomplice : 
this  he  bore  with  the  utmost  fortitude,  refusing  to  make 
the  discovery  ;  till  Melanippus,  informed  of  the  situation 
of  his  friend,  ran  to  the  tyrant,  assujing  him,  that  he 
alone  was  the  guilty  person ;  that  it  was  entirely  by  his 
instigation  that  Cariton  had  acted ;  and  begged  that  he 
might  be  put  on  the  rack  in  the  place  of  his  friend  Pha- 
laris, struck  with  such  heroism,  pardoned  them  both. 

Notwithstanding  this  generous  action,  he  was  in  many 
respects  a  barbarous  tyrant.  Fazzello  gives  the  following 
account  of  his  death,  with  which  I  shall  conclude  this 
letter,  fcr  I  am  monstrously  tired,  and  I  dare  say,  so  are 
you.  Zeno,  the  philosopher,  came  to  Agrigentum,  and 
being  admitted  into  the  presence  of  the  tyrant,  advised 
him,  for  his  own  comfort,  as  well  as  that  of  his  subjects, 
to  resign  his  power,  and  lead  a  private  life.  Phalaris 
did  not  relish  these  philosophical  sentiments;  and  sus- 
pecting Zeno  to  be  in  a  conspiracy  with  som.e  of  his  sub- 
jects, ordered  him  to  be  put  to  the  torture  in  presence  of 
the  citizens  of  Agrigentum. 

Zeno  immediately  began  to  reproach  them  with  cow- 
ardice and  pusillanimity  in  submitting  tamely  to  the  yoke 
of  so  worthless  a  tyrant ;  and  in  a  short  tinie  raised  such 
a  flame,  that  they  defeated  the  guards,  and  stoned  Phalaris 
to  death.— ^I  dare  say  you  are  glad  they  did  it  so  quickly. 
W«il,  I  shall  not  write  such  long  letters  for  the  future; 
for,  I  assure  you,  it  is  at  least  as  troublesome  to  the  writer 
as  the  reader.  Adi^u  We  shall  sail  to-morrow  or  next 
morning  for  Trapani,  from  whence  you  may  expocf  to 
hear  from  me.  We  are  now  going  out  to  ex-^niine  more 
antique  walls,  but  I  shall  not  trouble  you  with  them.-— 
Farewell. 


156  A  Tout  tlirougk 


LETTER  XX. 


June  16. 

WHEN  I  ha^e  nothing  else  to  do,  I  generally  take 
up  the  pen.  We  are  now  on  the  top  of  a  high 
mountain  about  half  way  betwixt  Agrigentum  and  Paler- 
mot  Our  sea  expedition  by  Trtponi  has  failed,  and  we  are 
determined  to  put  no  more  confidence  in  that  element, 
happy  l>eyond  measure  to  find  ourselves  at  a  distance 
from  it,  though  in  the  most  wretched  of  villages.  We 
have  travelled  all  night  on  mules;  and  arrived  here  about 
ten  o'clock,  overcome  with  sleep  and  fatigue.  We  have 
just  had  an  excellent  dish  of  tea,  which  never  fails  to  cure 
me  of  both;  and  I  am  now  as  fresh  as  when  we  set  out. 
It  has  not  had  the  same  effect  on  my  companions:  they 
have  thrown  themselves  down  en  a  vile  straw  bed  in  the 
corner  of  the  hovel ;  and  in  spite  of  a  parcel  of  starved 
chickens,  that  are  fluttering  about  and  picking  the  straws 
all  around  them,  they  are  already  fast  asleep. 

I  shall  seiz:^-  that  time  to  recapitulate  what  has  happen- 
ed since  my  last. 

The  day  after  I  wrote  you,  we  made  some  little  excur- 
sions around  Agrigentum.  The  countrj  is  delightful ; 
producing  corn,  wine,  and  oil  in  the  greatest  abundance : 
the  fields  are,  at  the  same  time,  covered  with  a  variety 
of  the  finest  fruits ;  oranges,  lemons,  pomegranates,  al- 
monds, pistachio- nuts,  &c.  These  aflr>rded  us  almost  as 
agreeable  an  entertainment  as  the  consideration  of  the 
ruins  from  whence  they  spring. 

We  dined  with  the  bishop  according  to  agreement, 
and  rose  from  the  table  convinced  that  the  ancient  Agri- 
gentini  could  not  possibly  understand  the  true  luxury  of 
eating  better  than  their  descendants,  to  whom  they  have 
transmitted  a  very  competent  portion  both  of  their  social 
virtues  and  vices.  I  beg  their  pardon  for  calling  them 
vices.  I  wish  1  had  a  softer  name  for  it ;  it  looks  like 
ingratitude  for  their  hospitality,  for  which  we  owe  them 
so  much. 

We  were  just  thirty  at  table,  but,  upon  my  word,  I 
<tp  not  think  we  had  less  than  a  hundred  dishes  of  meat.. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  15? 

These  were  drest  wilh  the  richest  and  most  delicate 
sauces  ;  and  convinced  us,  that  the  old  Roman  proverb  of 
"  Siculus  coquus  et  Sicula  mensa,'*  was  not  more  appli- 
cable in  their  time  than  it  is  at  present.  Nothing  was 
wanting  that  could  be  invented  to  stimulate  and  to  flatter 
the  palate,  and  to  create  a  false  appetite  as  well  as  to  sa- 
tisfy it.  Some  of  the  very  dishes  so  much  relished  by 
the  Roman  epicures,  made  a  part  of  the  feast ;  particu- 
larly the  morcne,  which  is  so  often  mentioned  by  their 
authors:  it  is  a  species  of  eel,  found  only  in  this  part  of 
the  Mediterranean,  and  sent  from  hence  to  several  of  the 
courts  of  Europe.  It  is  not  so  fat  and  luscious  as  other 
eels,  so  that  you  can  eat  a  good  deal  more  of  it :  its  flesh 
is  white  as  snow,  and  is  incited  a  very  great  delicacy  — 
But  a  modern  refinement  ir^  luxury  has,  I  think,  still  pro- 
duced a  greater :  by  a  particular  kind  of  management 
they  make  the  livers  of  their  fowls  grow  to  a  large  size, 
and  at  the  same  time  acquire  a  high  and  rich  flavour.  It 
is  indeed  a  most  incomparable  dish  ;  but  the  means  of 
procuring  it  is  so  cruel,  that  I  will  not  even  trust  it  with 
you.  Perhaps,  without  any  bad  intention,  you  might 
mention  it  to  some  of  your  friends,  they  to  others,  till  at 
last  it  might  come  into  the  hands  of  those  that  would  be 
glad  to  try  the  experiment;  and  the  whole  race  of  poul- 
try might  ever  have  reason  to  curse  me  :  let  it  sufllice  to 
say,  that  it  occasions  a  painful  and  lingering  death  to  the 
poor  animal :  that,  I  know,  is  enough  to  make  you  wish 
never  to  taste  of  it,  whatever  effect  it  may  have  upon 
others. 

The  Sicilians  eat  of  every  thing,  and  attempted  to  make 
\is  do  the  same.  The  company  was  remarkably  merry, 
and  did  by  no  means  belie  their  ancient  character,  for 
most  of  them  were  more  than  half  seas  over  long  before 
we  rose  from  table;  and  I  was  somewhat  apprehensive 
of  a  second  edition  of  the  Triremes  scene,  as  they  were 
beginning  to  reel  exceedingly.  By  the  by,  I  do  not 
-doubt  but  that  phrase  of  Half  seas  over,  may  have  taken 
its  origin  from  some  such  story.  They  begged  us  to 
make  a  bowl  of  punch,  a  liquor  they  h^d  often  heard  ofi 
but  had  never  seen.  The  materials  were  immediately 
found,  and  we  succeeded  so  well,  that  they  preferred  it 
to  all  the  wines  on  the  table,  of  which  they  had  a  great 
variety.  We  were  obliged  to  replenish  the  bowl  so  ofteti^ 
P 


15^  A  Tour  through 

that  I  really  expected  to  see  most  of  them  under  the  ta- 
ble. They  called  it  Pontic,  and  spoke  loudly  in  its  praise  ; 
declaring  that  Pontio  (alluding  to  Pontius  Pilate)  was  a 
nnuch  better  fellow  than  they  had  ever  taken  him  for. 
However,  after  dinner,  one  of  iheim,  a  reverend  canon, 
grew  excessively  sick,  and  while  he  was  throwing  up, 
he  turned  to  me  witli  a  rueful  countenance,  and  shaking 
his  head,  he  groaned  out,  "  Ah,  Signior  Capitano,  sapeva 
sempre  che  Pontio  era  un  grande  traditore." — '  I  always 
luiew  that  Pontius  was  a  great  traitor."  Another  of  them 
overhearing  him,  exclaimed — "■  Aspettatevi,  Signor  Ca- 
nonico.'* — '•  Not  so  fast,"  said  he,  '*  my  good  canon." — 
"  Niente  al  pregiudizio  di  Signor  Pontio,  vi  prego. — Re- 
cordate,  che  Pontio  v'ha  fatto  un  canonico  ; — et  Pontio 
ha  fatto  sua  eccellenza  una  Vescovo — Non  scordatevi 
mai  di  vostri  amici." 

Now,  what  do  you  think  of  these  reverend  fathers  of 
the  church  ?  Their  merit,  you  will  easily  perceive,  does 
not  consist  in  fasting  and  prayer  — Their  creed,  they  say, 
they  have  a  good  deal  modernized,  and  is  much  simpler 
than  that  of  Aihanasius  — One  of  them  told  me,  thai  if 
we  would  but  stay  with  them  for  some  little  time,  we 
should  soon  be  convinced  that  they  were  the  happiest 
fellows  on  earth.  ^'  We  have  exploded  (said  he)  from 
our  system  every  thing  that  is  distnal  or  melancholy  ;  and 
are  persuaded,  that  of  all  the  roads  in  the  universe,  the 
road  to  heaven  must  be  the  pleasantest  and  least  gloomy  ; 
if  it  be  not  so  (add  d  he),  God  have  mercy  upon  -us,  for 
I  am  afraid  we  shall  never  get  there."  I  told  him  I  could 
not  flatter  him ;  *'  that  if  laughing  was  really  a  sin,  as 
some  people  taught,  they  were  certainly  the  greatest  of 
all  sinners."  ''  Well  (said  he),  we  shall  at  least  endea- 
vour to  be  happy  here  ;  and  that,  I  am  persuaded,  is  the 
best  of  all  preparations  for  happiness  hereafter.  Absti- 
nence (continued  he)  from  all  innocent  and  lawful  plea- 
sures, we  reckon  one  of  the  greatest  sins,  and  guard 
against  it  with  the  utmost  care :  and  I  am  pretty  sure  it 
is  a  sin  that  none  of  us  here  will  ever  be  damned  for  "^- 
He  concluded  by  repeating  two  lines,  which  he  told  me 
was  their  favourifp  maxim ;  the  meaning  of  which  was 
Qxactly  those  of  Mr.  Pope  ; 

♦'  For  God  is  paid  when  man  receives: 
'•  To  enjoy  is  to  obey." 


Sicily  and  Malta.  159 

This  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  imet  with  this  libertine 
spirit  amongst  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy.  There  is 
so  much  nonsense  and  mummery  in  iheir  worship,  that 
they  are  afraid  lest  strangers  should  believe  they  are  se- 
rious ;  and  perhaps  too  often  fly  to  the  opposite  extreme. 

We  were,  however,  much  pleased  with  the  bishop; 
he  is  greatly  and  deservedly  respected,  yet  his  presence 
Ciid  nowise  diminish,  but  rather  increased  the  jollity  of 
the  company.  He  entered  into  every  joke,  joined  in  the 
repartee,  at  which  he  is  a  great  proficient,  and  entirely 
laid  aside  his  episcopal  dignity ;  which,  however,  I  am 
told,  he  knows  very  well  how  to  assume  when  it  is  neces- 
sviry.  He  placed  us  next  to  himself,  and  behaved  indeed, 
in  every  respect,  with  the  greatest  ease  and  politeness. 
He  is  one  of  the  first  families  of  the  island,  and  brother 

to  the  Prince  of  .     1   had  his   whole  pedigree  pat, 

lut  now  I  have  lost  it,  no  matter :  he  is  an  honest,  plea- 
sant little  fellow,  and  that  is  of  much  more  consequence* 
He  is  not  yet  forty;  and  so  high  a  promotion,  in  so  early 
a  period  of  life,  is  reckoned  very  extraordinary,  this  be- 
ing the  richest  bishoprick  in  the  kingdom.  He  is  a  good 
scholar,  and  very  deeply  read,  both  in  ancient  and  modem 
learning ;  and  his  genius  is  in  no  degree  inferior  to  his 
erudition.  The  similarity  of  character  and  circumstances 
struck  me  so  strongly,  that  I  could  scarce  help  thinking 
I  had  got  besicte  our  worthy  and  respectable  friend,  tlu; 

li p  of  D y,  which,  I  assure  you,  sail  added 

(>reaily  to  tho  pleasure  I  iiad  in  his  company.     I  told  the 

bishop  of  this;  adding,  that  he  was  brother  to  L (i 

B 1 ;  he  seemed  much  pleased,  and  s:.id,  he  had  cficn 

heard  rf  the  farrily.  both  wlien  Lord  B ^vas  ambassa- 
dor in  Spain,  and  his  other  brother  commander  in  the 
Mediterranean. 

We  found  in  this  company  a  number  of  Free  Masons, 
who  were  delighted  bevcnd  measure  when  they  discover- 
ed that  we  were  their  brethren.  They  pressed  us  to 
spend  a  few  more  days  amongst  them,  and  offered  us  let- 
ters to  Palermo,  and  every  other  town  we  should  thi?  k  of 
visiting;  but  the  heats  are  increasing  so  vi'  Icntly,  that 
we  were  afraid  of  prolone;ing  otir  expedition,  lest  we 
should  be  caught  by  the  Sirocc  winds,  supposed  to  bk)w 
from  the  burning  deserts  of  Africa,  afnl' sometimes  at- 
tended with  dangerous  consequences  to  ftiose  that  travel 
over  Sicilv. 


l60  A  "Four  threugU 

But  I  find  I  have  omitted  several  circumstances  of  6ur 
dinner.  I  should  have  told  you,  that  it  was  an  annual 
feast  pjiven  by  the  nobility  of  Agrigentum  to  the  bishop. 
It  was  served  in  an  immense  granary,  half  full  of  wheat, 
«n  the  sea-shore,  chosen  on  purpose  to  avoid  the  heat. 
The  whole  was  on  plate  :  and  what  appeared  singular  to 
us,  but  I  believe  is  a  much  better  method  than  ours,  great 
pirtofthe  fruit  was  served  up  with  the  second  course, 
»hn  first  dish  of  which  that  went  round  was  strawberries. 
The  Sicilians  were  a  good  deal  surprised  to  see  us  eat 
them  with  cream  and  sugar,  yet  upon  trial  they  did  not 
at  all  dislike  the  composition 

The  dessert  consisted  of  a  great  variety  of  fruits,  and 
still  a  greater  of  ices :  these  were  so  disguised  in  the 
shapes  of  peaches,  figs,  oranges,  nuts.  Sec  that  a  person 
unaccustomed  to  ices  might  very  easily  have  been  taken 
in,  as  an  honest  sea-officer  was  lately  at  the  house  of  a 
certain  minister  of  your  acquaintance,  not  less  distin- 
guished for  the  elegance  of  his  table,  than  the  exact  for- 
mality and  subordination  to  be  observed  at  it.  After  the 
second  course  was  removed,  and  the  ices,  in  the  shape 
of  various  fruits  and  sweetmeats,  advanced  by  way  of 
rear-guard ;  one  of  the  servants  carried  the  figure  of  a 
Une  large  peach  to  the  captain,  who,  unacquainted  with 
deceit  of  any  kind,  never  doubted  that  it  wes  a  real  one; 
and  cutting  it  through  the  middle,  in  a  moment  had  one 
large  half  of  it  in  his  mouth;  at  first  he  only  looked  grave, 
and  blew  up  his  cheeks  to  give  it  more  room  ;  but  the 
violence  of  the  cold  soon  getting  the  better  of  his  pati- 
ence, he  began  to  tumble  it  about  from  side  to  side  in  his 
iTJouth,  his  eyes  rushing  out  of  water,  till  at  last,  able  to 
l^ld  no  longer,  he  spit  it  out  upon  his  plate,  exclaiming 
with  a  horrid  oath, "  A  painted  snowball,  by  G — di"  and 
wiping  away  his  tears  with  his  napkin,  he  turned  in  a 
rage  to  the  Italian  servant  that  had  helped  him,  with  a 

^  D — n  your  maccaroni  eyes,  you  son  of  a  ,  what 

did  you  mean  by  that?" The  fellow,  who  did  not 

understand  a  word  of  it,  could  not  forbear  smiling,  which 
jtill  convinced  the  captain  the  more  that  it  was  a  tt  ick  ; 
and  he  was  just  going  to  throw  the  rest  of  the  snowball  in 
hii  face,  but  was  prevented  by  one  of  the  company ;  when 
recovering  from  his  passion,  and  thinking  the  object  un- 
worthy of  it,  he  only  added  in  a-  softer  tone,  "  Very  well. 


Sicily  and  Malta,  16] 

neighbour,  I  only  wish  I  had  you  on  board  ship  for  half 
an  hour,  you  should  have  a  dozen  before  you  could  say 
Jack  Robinson,  for  all  your  painted  cheeks." 

I  ask  pardon  for  this  digression,  but  as  it  is  a  good 
laughable  story,  1  know  you  will  excuse  it.  About  six 
o'clock,  we  took  a  cordial  leave  of  our  jolly  friends  at  A- 
grigentuni ;  and  we  embarked  on  board  our  sparonaro 
at  the  new  port.  I  should  have  told  you,  that  this  harbour 
has  lately  been  made  at  a  very  great  expence  ;  this  city 
having  always  been  one  of  the  principal  ports  of  the  island 
for  the  exportation  of  grain.  The  bishop  and  his  company- 
went  into  a  large  barge,  and  sailed  round  the  harbour  ;  wc 
saluted  them  as  we  went  out ;  they  returned  the  compli- 
raent,  and  we  took  a  second  leave.  The  evening  was  fine, 
and  we  coasted  along  for  a  good  many  miles  ;  we  passed 
several  points  and  little  promontories,  that  ^yere  exceed- 
ingly beautiful  and  picturesque  ;  many  of  them  were 
covered  with  noble  large  aloes  in  full  blow.  In  one  place, 
I  counted  upwards  of  two  hundred  of  those  fine  majestic 
plants  all  in  flower ;  a  sight  which  I  imagined  Avas  hardly 
to  be  met  with  in  the  world  — After  sun-set, — alas,  fain 
would  I  conceal  what  happened  after  sun-set !  but  life, 
you  know,  is  chequered  with  good  and  evil,  and  it  would 
have  been  great  presumption  to  receive  so  much  of  the 
one,  without  expecting  a  little  dash  of  the  other  too. — 
Besides,  a  sea  expedition  is  nothing  without  a  storm. 
Our  journal  would  never  have  been  readable,  had  it  not 
been  for  this — Well,  1  assure  you,  we  had  it.  It  was  not 
indeed  so  violent  as  the  great  one  ofi'  Louisburgh,  or  per- 
haps even  that  described  by  Virgil ;  the  reading  of  which 
is  said  to  have  made  people  sea-sick ;  but  it  was  rath;  r  too 
much  for  our  little  bark. — I  was  going  to  tell  you,  that  af- 
ter sun-set  the  sky  began  to  overcast,  and  in  a  short  time 
the  whole  atmosphere  appeared  fiery  and  threatening. 
We  attempted  to  get  into  some  creek,  but  could  find 
none.  The  wind  grew  loud, and  we  found  it  was  in  vain 
to  proceed  ;  but  as  the  night  was  dark  and  hazy,  we  were 
dubious  about  the  possibility  of  reaching  the  port  of  Agri- 
gentum.  However,  this  was  all  we  had  for  it,  as  there 
were  none  other  within  many  miles.  Accordingly  we 
tacked  about,  and  plying  both  oars  and  sail,  with  great  care 
not  to  come  amongst  the  rocks  and  breakers,  in  about  two 
hours  we  spied  the  light-house  ;  by  which  we  directed 
P  a 


iO^J  A  Tour  through 

Qur  course,  and  got  safely  into  port  betwixt  one  and  two 
in  the  morning  :  we  lay  down  on  our  mattrass,  and  slept 
sound  till  ten,  when  finding  the  falsity  of  our  hypothesis-, 
that  there  could  be  no  bad  weather  in  the  Mediterranean 
at  this  season,  we  unanimously  agreed  to  have  nothing 
more  to  do  Avith  sparonaros,  and  sent  immediately  to  en- 
gage mules  to  carry  us  over  the  mountains  to  Palermo. 
The  storm  continued  with  violence  thi^  whole  day,  and 
made  us  often  thank  heaven  that  we  had  got  safely  back. 
It  was  not  till  five  in  the  afternoon  that  we  had  mules, 
guides,  and  guards  provided  us;  when  we  set  off,  pretty 
much  in  the  same  order,  and  in  the  same  equipage  as 
we  had  done  about  three  weeks  ago  from  Messina.  Our 
guards  attempted  to  fill  us  with  the  most  dreadful  appre- 
hensions of  this  road,  shewing  us,  every  mile,  where  such 
a  one  was  robbed,  such  another  was  murdered  ;  and  en- 
tertained us  with  such  melancholy  ditties  the  greatest 
part  of  the  way.  Indeed,  if  one  half  of  their  stories  be 
true,  it  is  certainly  the  most  dangerous  road  in  the  world; 
but  I  looked  upon  most  of  them  as  fictions,  invented 
only  to  increase  their  own  consequence,  and  to  procure 
a  little  more  money.  There  is,  indeed,  some  foundation 
for  these  stories;  as  there  are  numbers  of  gibbets  erected 
on  the  road  m  t  error  em ;  and  every  little  baron  has  th» 
power  of  life  and  death  in  his  own  domain.  Our  bishop's 
brother,  whose  name  I  have  forgot,  seized  lately  four  and 
twenty  of  those  desperate  banditti,  after  a  stout  resist- 
ance, where  several  were  killed  on  both  sides  ;  and  not- 
withstandhig  that  some  of  them  were  under  the  protec- 
tion of  the  nobility,  and  in  their  service,  they  were  all 
hanged.  However,  this  has  by  no  means  rooted  them 
out.  Our  guards,  in  the  suspicious  places,  went  with 
tlieir  pieces  cock'd,  and  kept  a  close  look-out  to  either 
:jide  of  them  ;  but  we  saw  nothing  to  alarm  us,  except  the 
most  dreadful  roads  in  the  world ;  in  many  places  worse 
than  any  thing  I  ever  met  With  amongst  the  Alps. 

After  travelling  about  twenty  miles,  we  arrived  by  two 
in  the  morning  at  the  most  wretched— I  don't  know  what 
to  call  it— there  was  not  any  one  thing  to  be  had  but  a 
little  straw  for  the  mules.  However,  after  a  good  deal 
of  difficulty,  we  at  last  got  fire  enough  to  boil  our  tea- 
kettle; and  having  brought  bread  from  Agrigentum,  we 
^ade  an  excellent  mea).   Our  tea-table  was  a  round  stone 


^clly  and  Maha.  \%3 

in  fhe  field ;  and  as  the  moon  shone  bright,  we  had  nb 
occasion  for  any  other  lunnnary.  You  nnay  believe  our 
stay  here  was  as  short  as  possible  ;  the  house  was  too 
dreadfully  nasty  to  enter  it,  and  the  stable  was  full  of 
poor  wretches  sleeping  on  the  bare  ground.  In  short,  I 
never  saw  in  any  country  so  miserable  an  inn,  for  so  it  is 
styled.  We  mounted  our  cavalry  with  all  expedition, 
and  in  a  very  ^ort  lime  got  into  the  woods,  where  we 
were  serenaded  by  the  nightingale  as  we  went  along,  who 
made  us  a  full  apology  and  atonement  for  the  bad  cheer 
we  had  met  with.  In  a  short  time  it  was  day,  and  then 
we  had  entertainment  enough  from  the  varied  scenes  of 
the  most  beautiful,  wild,  and  romantic  country  in  the 
world. The  fertility  of  many  of  the  plains  is  truly  as- 
tonishing, without  enclosures,  without  manure,  and  almost 
without  culture.  It  is  with  reason  that  this  island  was 
styled  "  Romani  imperii  horreum,"  the  granary  of  thq 
Roman  empire.  Were  it  cultivated,  it  would  still  be  the 
great  granary  of  Europe.  Pliny  says,  it  yielded  a  hundred 
after  one  ;  and  Diodorus,  who  was  a  native  of  the  island^ 
and  wrote  on  the  spot,  assures  us,  that  it  produced  wheat 
and  other  grain  spontaneously ;  and  Homer  advances  the 
same  fact  in  the  Odyssey  : 

"  The  soil  untlU'd,  a  ready  harvest  yields, 
"  With  wheat  and  barley  wave  the  golden  fields ; 
*'  Spontaneous  wines  from  weighty  clusters  pour, 
'*•  And  Jove  descends  in  e»ch  prolific  shower." 

POPS? 

Many  of  the  mountains  seemed  to  be  formed  by  sublerv 
raneous  fire ;  several  of  them  retain  their  conical  figure? 
and  their  craters,  but  not  so  exact  as  those  on  Mount 
jEtna,  as  they  ar*  probably  much  older.  1  likewise  ob- 
served many  pieces  of  lava  on  the  road,  and  in  the  betla, 
of  the  torrents ;  and  a  good  deal  of  the  stone  called  tufa, 
which  is  certainly  the  production  of  a  volcano  ;  so  that 
I  have  no  doubt,  that  a  great  part  of  this  island,  as  well 
as  the  neighbouring  ones  of  Lipari,^  8cc.  has  been  origi- 
nally formed  by  subterraneous  fire  :  we  likewise  passed 
some  quarries  of  a  kind  of  talc,  and  also  of  a  coarse  ala- 
baster; of  this  they  make  a  sort  of  stucco  or  plaister,  re* 
sembling  that  of  Paris;  but  what  I  much  regretted,  we 
missed  seeing  the  famous  salt  of  Agrigentum,  found  ij>. 


164*  A  Tour  through 

the  earth  about  four  or  five  miles  from  that  city.  It  has 
this  remarkable  property,  different  from  all  other  salt, 
that  in  the  fire  it  presently  melts  ;  but  in  the  water  it 
cracks  and  splits,  but  never  dissolves.  It  is  celebrated 
by  Pliny,  Aristotle,  and  others  of  the  ancient,  as  well  as 
the  modern  naturalists.  Fazzello,  whom  I  have  brought 
along  with  me  to  read  by  the  road,  says,  he  has  often  ex- 
perienced this  ;  he  adds,  from  the  authority  of  these 
ancient  authors,  that  they  formerly  had  mines  of  this  salt, 
so  pure  and  solid,  that  the  statuaries  and  sculptors  pre- 
ferred it  to  marble,  and  made  various  works  of  it. 

The  poor  people  of  the  village  have  found  us  out,  and 
with  looks  full  of  misery  have  surrounded  our  door.— 
Accursed  tyranny, — what  despicable  objects  we  become 
in  thy  hands! — Is  it  not  inconceivable  how  any  govern- 
ment should  be  able  to  render  poor  and  wretched  a  coun- 
try which  produces  almost  spontaneously  every  thing 
than  even  luxury  can  desire  ?  But  alas !  poverty  and 
wretchedness  have  ever  attended  the  Spanish  yoke,  both 
on  this,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  globe. — They  make 
it  their  boast,  that  the  sun  never  sets  on  their  dominions, 
but  forget  that  since  they  became  such,  they  have  left 
him  nothing  to  see  in  his  course,  but  deserted  fields, 
barren  wildernesses,  oppressed  peasants,  and  lazy,  lying, 
lecherous  monks.  Such  are  the  fruits  of  their  boasted 
conquests. — They  ought  rather  to  be  ashamed,  that  ever 
the  sun  should  see  them  at  all — The  sight  of  these  poor 
people  has  filled  me  with  indignation.  This  village  is 
surrounded  by  the  finest  country  in  the  world,  yet  there 
was  neither  bread  nor  wine  to  be  found  in  it,  and  the  poor 
inhabitants  appear  more  than  half  starved. 

"  'Mongst  Ceres'  richest  gift?  with  wast  oppress'd, 
"  And  'midst  the  flowing-  vineyard,  die  of  thirst." 

I  shall  now  think  of  concluding,  as  I  do  not  recollect 
that  I  have  much  more  to  say  to  you  :  besides,  I  find  my- 
self exceedingly  sleepy.  I  sincerely  wish  it  may  not  be 
the  same  case  with  you  before  you  have  read  thus  far.—' 
We  have  ordered  our  mules  to  be  ready  by  five  o'clock, 
and  shall  again  travel  all  night ; — the  heats  are  too  great 
to  allow  it  by  day.  Adieu.— These  two  fellows  are  still 
sound  asleep  In  a  few  minutes  I  shall  be  so  too,  for  the 
pen-is  almost  dropping  out  of  my  hand.    FarewelL 


Sicily  and  Mali^.  l65' 


LETTEE  XXI. 


Palermo^  June  19. 

WE  arc  now  arrived  at  the  great  capital  of  Sicily? 
which,  in  our  opinion,  in  beauty  and  elegance,  is 
greatly  superior  to  Naples.  It  is  not,  indeed,  so  large; 
but  the  regularity?  the  uniformity,  and  neatness  of  its 
streets  and  buildings  render  it  much  more  pleasing;  it  is 
full  of  people,  who  have  mostly  an  air  of  affluence  and 
gaiety.  And  indeed  we  seem  to  have  got  into  a  new 
world.  But  stop — not  so  fast.  1  had  forgot  that  you  have 
btill  fifty  miles  to  travel  on  a  cursed  stubborn  mule,  ovep 
rocks  and  precipices;  for  I  can  see  bo  reason  why  we 
should  bring  you  at  once  into  all  the  sweets  of  Palermo, 
without  bearing  at  least  some  little  part  of  the  fatigues 
of  the  journey.  Come,  we  shall  make  them  as  short  as 
possible. 

We  left  you,  I  think,  in  a  little  village  on  the  top  of  a 
high  mountain.  We  should  indeed  use  you  very  ill,  were 
we  to  leave  you  there  any  longer;  for  I  own  it  is  the  very 
worst  country  quarter  that  ever  fell  to  my  lot.  HoMcver, 
we  got  a  good  comfortable  sleep  in  it,  the  only  one  thing 
it  afforded  us ;  and  the  fleas,  the  bugs,  and  chickens,  did 
all  that  lay  in  their  power  even  to  deprive  us  of  that,  but 
we  defied  them.  Our  two  leaders  came  to  awake  us  be- 
fore five,  apostrophizing  their  entry  with  a  detail  rf  the 
horrid  robberies  and  murders  that  had  been  comsmitted 
in  the  neighbourhood  ;  all  of  them,  you  may  be  sure,  en 
the  very  road  that  we  were  to  go. 

Our  whole  squadron  was  drawn  out,  and  we  were 
ranged  in  order  of  battle  by  five  o'clock,  when  we  beg^n 
our  march,  attended  by  the  whole  village,  man,  woman, 
and  child.  We  soon  got  down  amongst  the  woods,  and 
endeavoured  to  forget  the  objects  of  misery  we  had  left 
behind  us.  The  beauty  and  richness  of  the  country  in- 
creased in  proportion  as  we  advanced.  The  mountains, 
although  of  a  great  heiglit,  (that  we  have  left,  is  near  four 
thousand  feet,  the  mercury  standing  at  twenty  six  inches 
two  lines),  are  covered  to  the  very  summit  with  the 
richest  pasture.     The  grass  in   the   valleys  is  already 


166  A  Tour  through 

burnt  up,  so  that  the  flocks  are  all  upon  the  mountains. 
The  gradual  separation  of  heat  and  cold  is  very  visible 
in  taking  a  view  of  them.  The  valleys  are  brown  and 
scorched,  and  so  are  the  mountains  to  a  considerable 
height ;  they  then  begin  to  take  a  shade  of  green,  which 
grows  deeper  and  deeper,  and  covers  the  whole  upper 
region  ;  however,  on  the  suinmit,  the  grass  and  corn  are 
by  no  means  so  luxuriant  as  about  the  middle.  We  were 
amaz  ?d  at  the  richness  of  the  crops,  far  superior  to  any 
thing  I  had  ever  sden  either  in  England  or  Flanders, 
where  the  happy  soil  is  assisted  by  all  the  arts  of  cultiva- 
tion ;  whilst  here,  the  wretched  husbandman  can  hardly 
afford  to  give  it  a  furrow ;  and  gathers  in  with  a  heavy 
heart  the  most  luxuriant  harvest.  To  what  purpose  is 
it  given  him  ?  Only  to  lie  a  dead  weight  upon  his  hand, 
sometimes  till  it  is  entirely  lost ;  exportation  being  pro- 
hibited to  all  such  as  cannot  pay  exorbitantly  for  it  to  the 
sovereign.  What  a  contrast  is  there  betwixt  this  and 
the  little  uncouth  country  of  Switzerland ! — to  be  sure, 
the  dreadful  consequences  of  oppression  can  never  be  set 
in  a  more  striking  opposition  to  the  blessings  and  charms 
of  liberty.  S  A^itz-":rland,  the  very  excrescence  of  Europe, 
where  Nature  seems  to  have  thrown  out  all  her  cold  and 
stagnating  humours  ;  full  of  lakes,  marshes,  and  woods, 
and  surrounded  by  immense  rocks,  and  everlasting  moun- 
tains of  ice,  the  barren,  but  sacred,  ramparts  of  liberty  : 
Switzerland,  enjoying  every  blessing,  where  every  bless- 
ing seems  to  have  boen  denied  ;  whilst  Sicily,  covered 
by  the  most  luxuriant  hand  of  Nature,  where  Heaven 
seems  to  have  showered  down  its  richest  blessings  with 
the  utiv.ost  prodigality,  groans  under  the  most  abject 
poverty,  and,  with  a  pale  and  wan  visage,  starves  in  the 
midst  of  plenty. — It  is  liberty  alone  that  works  this  stand- 
ing miracle  —Under  her  plastic  hands  the  mountains 
sink,  the  lakes  are  drained ;  and  these  rocks,  these  marsh- 
es, these  woods,  become  so  many  sources  of  wealth,  and 
of  pleasure. — But  what  has  temperance  to  do  with 
wealth  ? 

"  Here  relg-ns  Content, 
"  And  Nature's  child,  Simplicity;  long  since 
"  Exil'd  from  polisli'd  realms." 

"  'Tis  Industry  supj)lies 
"  The  little  Temperance  wants ;  and  rosy  Health 
**  Sits  smiling-  at  the  board." 


Sicily  and  Malta.  167 

You  will  begin  to  think  1  am  in  danger  of  turning  poetical 
in  these  classic  fields; — I  am  sure  I  neither  suspected 
any  of  the  mountains  we  have  passed  to  be  Parnassus; 
nor  did  I  believe  any  one  of  the  Nine  foolish  enough  to 
inh:jbit  them,  except  Melpomene  perhaps,  as  she  is  so 
fond  of  tragical  faces  :  however,  I  shall  now  get  you  out 
of  them  as  soon  as  possible,  and  bring  you  once  more 
into  the  gay  world.  I  jssure  you,  I  have  often  w'isjhed 
that  you  could  have  lent  me  your  muse  on  this  expedi- 
tion ;  my  letters  would  then  have  been  more  worth  the 
reading ;  but  you  must  take  the  will  for  the  deed. 

After  travelling  till  about  midnight,  we  arrived  at  ano- 
ther miserttble  villa.t>;e,  where  we  slept  for  some  hours 
on  straw,  and  continued  our  journey  again  by  day-break. 
We  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  rising  sun  from  the 
top  of  a  pretty  high  mountuin,  and  were  delighted  with 
the  prospect  of  btrombolo,  and  the  other  Lipari  islands, 
at  a  great  distance  from  us.  On  our  descent  from  this 
mountain,  we  found  ourselves  on  the  banks  of  the  sea, 
and  took  that  road,  preferable  to  an  inland  one,  although 
several  miles  nearer.  We  soon  lighted  from  our  mules, 
and  plunged  into  the  water,  which  has  ever  made  one  of 
our  greatest  pleasures  in  this  expedition  ;  nobody  that  has 
not  tried  it,  can  conceive  the  delight  of  this  ;  after  the' 
fatigue  of  such  a  journey,  and  passing  three  days  without 
undressing.  Your  friend  Fullarton,  though  only  seven- 
teen, but  whose  mind  and  body  now  equally  despise  every 
fatigue,  found  himstlf  strong  as  a  lion,  and  fit  to  begin 
such  another  march.  We  boiled  our  tea-kettle  under  a 
fig-tree,  and  eat  a  breakfast  that  might  have  served  a 
company  of  strolling  playeis. 

The  approach  to  Palermo  is  fine.  The  alleys  are 
planted  with  fruit-trers,  and  large  American  aloes  in  full 
blow. — Near  the  city  we  passed  a  place  of  execution, 
where  the  quarters  of  a  number  of  robbers  were  hung 
up  upon  hooks,  like  so  many  hams ;  some  of  them  ap- 
peared newly  executed,  and  made  a  very  unsightly  figure. 
On  our  arrival,  we  learned  that  a  priest  and  three  others 
had  been  taken  a  few  days  ago,  after  an  obstinate  de- 
fence, in  which  several  were  killed  on  both  sides ;  the 
priest,  rather  than  submit  to  his  conquerors,  plunged  his 
hanger  into  his  breast,  and  died  on  the  spot ;  the  rest 
submitted,  and  were  executed. 


168  A  Tour  through 

As  there  is  but  one  inn  in  Palermo,  we  were  obnge(y 
to  agree  to  their  own  terms  (five  ducats  a-day).  We  are 
but  indifferently  lodged ;  however,  it  is  the  only  inn  we 
have  yet  seen  in  Sicily,  and,  indeed,  may  be  said  to  be 
the  only  one  in  the  island.  It  is  kept  by  a  noisy  trou- 
blesome French  woman,  who,  I  find,  will  plague  us  : 
there  is  no  keeping  her  out  of  our  rooms,  and  she  never 
comes  in  without  telling  us  of  such  a  prince  and  such  a 
duke,  that  were  so  superlatively  happy  at  being  lodged 
in  her  house;  we  can  easily  learn,  that  they  were  all  des- 
perately in  love  with  her;  and  indeed  she  seems  to  take 
it  very  much  amiss,  that  we  are  not  inclined  to  be  of  the 
same  sentiments.  I  have  already  been  obliged  to  tell 
her,  that  we  are  very  retired  sort  of  people,  and  do  not 
like  company.  I  find  she  does  not  esteem  us  the  better 
for  it ;  and  this  morning  (as  I  passed  through  the  kitchen 
without  speaking  to  her)  I  overheard  her  exclaim,  "  Ah, 
mon .  Diau !  comme  ces  Anglois  sont  sauvages.'*  I  be- 
lieve we  must  take  more  notice  of  her,  otherwise  we  shall 
certainly  have  our  rent  raised  ;  but  she  is  as  fat  as  a  pig, 
and  as  ugly  as  the  devil,  and  lays  on  a  quantity  of  paint 
on  each  of  her  swelled  cheeks,  that  looks  like  a  great 
plaster  of  red  Morocco.  Her  picture  is  hanging  in  the 
room  where  I  am  now  writing,  as  well  as  that  of  her  hus- 
band, who,  by  the  by,  is  a  ninny  ;  they  are  no  less  vile 
curiosiiies  than  the  originals. — He  is  drawn  with  his 
snuff-box  open  in  one  hand,  and  a  dish  of  cpffee  in  the 
other;  and  at  the  same  time,/a«V  C amiable  a  madame.'-^l 
took  notice  of  this  triple  occupation,  which  seemed  to  im- 
ply something  particular.  She  told  me  that  the  thought 
was  hors  »  that  her  husband  was  exceedingly  fond  of  snuff 
and  of  coffee,  and  wanted  by  this  to  shew,  that  he  was  still 
more  occupied  with  her  than  with  either  of  them. — I 
could  not  help  applauding  the  ingenuity  of  the  conceit. 
Madame  is  painted  with  an  immense  bouquet  in  her 
breast,  and  an  orange  in  her  right  hand,  emblematic  of 
her  sweetness  and  purity;  and  has  the  prettiest  little 
smirk  on  her  face  you  can  imagine.  She  told  me,  that 
she  insisted  on  the  painter  drawing  her  avec  le  nouris  aur 
le  visage^  but  as  he  had  not  esfirit  enough  to  make  her 
smile  naturally,  she  was  obliged  to  force  one,  "  qui 
•n*etoit  pas  tout-a-fait  m  jolie  que  le  nature!,  mais  qui  vau- 
drojt  toujours  mieux  que  d<j  paroitre  sombre."   I  i4gree«i 


Sicily  and  Malta,  169 

with  her  perfectly;  and  assured  her  it  became  her  very 
much;  *"  parceque  les  dames  grasses  sont  toujours  de 
bonne  hutneur." — I  found,  however,  that  she  would  \vil- 
lingiy  liave  excused  me  the  latter  part  of  the  cGmplin;cnt, 
Avhich  more  than  lost  all  thnt  1  had  gained  by  ihe  foimer. 
"  II  est  vrai  (s.-id  she,  a  good  deal  piqued),  j'ai  un  pcu 
de  rembonpoini,  mais  pas  t^nt  tj;rasse  pourtant."     I  pre* 
tended  to  excuse  myself,  from  not  understancjinj^  ail  the 
finesse  of  ihe  hnguuge  ;  and  assured  her,  thai  de  Ccmbon- 
point  was  the  very  phrase  1  meant  to  make  use  of.     She 
accepted  ihe  apology,  and  we  are  again  reconciled  ;  for, 
to  give  the  devil  his  due,  they  are  good  humoured.     She 
made  a  courtsey,  and  repeated,  "  Oui,  Monseur,  pour 
parler  comme  il  faut.  il  fautdire  de  VembonfirAnt. — On  ne 
dit  pas  grasse  *'  I  assured  her,  bowing  to  the  ground,  that 
the  word  should  forever  be  rased  from  ray  vocabulary.  She 
left  me  with  a  gracious  smile  and  courtesy,  nmch  lower 
than  the   first;  adding,  '*  Je  scavois  bien  que  M<>nbicur 
etoit  un  homme  comme  il  faut  ;'*  at  the  same  linje  trip- 
ping off  on  her  tiptoes,  as  light  as  a  feather,  to  shew  nic- 
how  much  I  had  been  mistaken.     This  woman  made  me 
recollect  (what  I  h:ive  always  observed)  how  little  the 
manners  of  the  French  are  to  be  changed  by  their  con- 
nection with  other  nations;  allowing  none  to  be  in  any 
degree  worthy  of  imitation  but  their  own.    Although  she 
has  now  been  here  these  twenty  years,  she  is  still  as  per- 
fectly French,  as  if  she  had  never  been  without  the  gates 
of  Paris;  and  looks  upon  every  woman  in  Palermo  with 
the  utmost  contempt,  liecause  they  have  never  seen  that 
capital,  nor  heard  the  sul)lime  music  of  its  opera.     She  is 
likewise  (allowing  for  the  diff^^rence  of  rank)  an  admirable 
epitome  of  all  French  women,  whose  universal  passion 
has  ever  been  the  desire  of  admivalion,  and  of  appearing; 
young:  and  ever  would  be,  I  b' licve,  were  they  to  live 
to  the  age  of  a  thousand.     Any  person  that  will  takt^  u 
look  of  the  withered  death's  heads  in  thpir  public  places, 
covered  over  with  a  thick  mask  of  paint,  will  btr  convinced 
of  thi'j  — Now,  our  old  ladies,  when  ihcy  get  to  the  wrong 
side  of  sixty,  generally  take  a  jump  up  to  the  borders  of 
fourscore,  and  appear  no  less  vain  of  iheir  years  than 
ever  they  were  of  their  youth.     I  know  some  of  them, 
that  I  am  sure  are  not  less  happy,  nor  less  contented,  nor 
(\  might  almost  add)  less  ndmiied  with  their  wrinkleg^ 
Q 


170  ji  Tour  through 

than  ever  they  were  with  their  dimples.  I  do  not  know 
whether  a  cheerful  old  woman,  who  is  willing  to  appear 
so,  is  more  re?;pectable,  or  more  estimable  ;  or  a  withered 
witch,  who  fills  up  every  wrinkle  with  varnish,  and  at 
fourscore  attempts  to  give  herself  the  bloom  of  four  and 
twenty,  is  ridiculous  and  contemptible : — but  as  dinner 
is  on  the  table,  I  shall  leave  it  to  you  to  determine. 

Adieu. 


LETTER  XXII. 


Palermo^  June  23. 

T  SHALL  have  a  great  deal  to  write  you  about  this  city  5 
^  we  are  every  day  more  delighted  with  it,  and  shall 
leave  it  with  much  regret.  We  have  now  delivered  our 
letters,  in  consequence  of  which  we  are  loaded  with  civi- 
lities, and  have  got  into  a  very  agreeable  set  of  acquaint- 
ance.— But  I  shall  first  attempt  to  give  you  some  little 
idea  of  the  town,  and  then  speak  of  its  inhabitants.  It 
is  by  much  the  most  regular  I  have  seen,  and  is  built 
upon  that  plan  which,  I  think,  all  large  cities  ought  to 
follow.  The  two  great  streets  intersect  each  other  in 
the  centre  of  the  city,  where  they  form  a  handsome 
square,  called  the  Ottangolo,  adorned  with  elegant  uni- 
form buildings.  From  the  centre  of  this  square  you  see 
the  whole  of  these  noble  streets,  and  the  four  great  gates 
of  the  city  which  terminate  them  ;  the  symmetry  and 
beauty  of  which  produce  a  fine  effect  The  whole  of 
these  are  to  be  magnificently  illuminated  some  time  next 
month,  and  must  certainly  be  the  finest  sight  in  the 
world.  The  four  gates  are  each  at  the  distance  of  about 
half  a  mile  (the  diameter  of  the  city  being  no  more  than 
a  mile)  :  these  are  elegmt  pieces  of  architecture,  richly 
adorned :  particularly  the  Porta  J^ova  and  Porta  Felice^ 
terminating  the  great  street  called  the  Corso^  that  runs 
tiouth-west  and  north-east  The  lesser  streets  in  general 
run  parallel  to  these  great  ones  ,  so  that  from  every  part 
9f  the  city,  in  a  few  minutes  walking,  you  are  sure  to 


Sicily  and  Malta,  171 

arrive  at  one  of  the  capital  streets.  The  Porta  Felice 
(by  much  the  handsomest  of  these  gates)  opens  to  the 
Marino^  a  delightful  walk,  which  constitutes  one  of  the 
great  pleasures  of  the  nobility  of  Palermo.  Il  is  bounded 
on  one  side  by  the  wall  of  the  citvj  and  on  the  other  by 
the  sea;  from  whencp,  even  at  this  scotching  season, 
there  is  always  an  ag»eenble  brevze.  In  the  centre  of 
ihe  Marino  they  have  lately  erected  an  tUtgant  kind  of 
temple,  which  during  the  summer  months  is  made  use 
of  as  an  orchestra  for  music  ;  and  as  in  this  season  they 
are  obliged  to  convert  the  night  into  day,  the  concert 
does  not  begin  till  the  clock  strikes  midnight,  which  is 
the  signal  for  the  symphony  to  strike  up:  at  that  time 
the  walk  is  crowded  with  carrii'ges  and  people  on  foot ; 
and  the  beitcr  to  favour  pleasure  and  intrigue,  there  is  an 
order,  that  no  person,  of  whatever  quality,  shall  presume 
to  carry  a  light  with  him.  The  flambeaux  are  extinguish- 
ed at  the  Porta  Felice,  where  the  servants  wi^ii  for  the 
return  of  the  carriages  ;  and  the  companv  gt^nerally  con- 
tinue an  hour  or  two  together  in  utter  darkness  ;  except 
when  the  intruding  moon,  with  her  horns  and  her  chasti- 
ty, comes  to  disturb  them.  The  concert  finishes  about 
two  in  the  morning,  when,  for  the  most  part,  every  hus- 
band goes  home  to  his  own  wife.  This  is  an  admirable 
institution,  and  never  produces  any  scandal:  no  husbv.nd 
is  such  a  brute  as  to  deny  his  wife  the  Marino;  and  the 
ladies  are  so  cautious  and  circumspect  on  their  side,  that 
the  more  to  avoid  giving  offence,  they  very  often  put  on 
masques. 

Their  other  amusements  consist  chiefly  in  their  Crn- 
versaziones^  of  which  they  have  a  variety  every  night. 
There  is  one  general  one,  supported  by  the  subscription 
of  the  nobility,  which  is  open  every  evening  at  eight,  and 
continues  till  midnight,  when  the  music  begins.  It  better 
deserves  the  name  of  a  conversation  than  any  I  have  seen 
in  Italy  ;  for  there  the  people  really  come  to  converse — 
whereas,  in  Italy  they  only  go  to  play  at  cards  and  eat 
ices.  I  have  observed,  that  seldom  or  never  one  half  of 
the  company  is  engaged  in  pliy  ;  nor  do  they  either  play 
long  or  deep.  There  are  a  number  of  apartments  belong- 
ing to  this  conversation,  illuminated  with  wax  lights,  and 
kept  exceedingly  cool  and  agreeable;  and  it  is  indeed 
altogether  one  of  the  most  sensible  acd  comfortable  in- 


I  r2  A  Tour  fhrduoli 


^' 


stitutions  I  have  seen  :  besides  thif ,  there  are  j^pncrallv  S 
number  of  pailicular  conversations  every  night,  anti  what 
will  a  good  deal  sin  prise  you,  these  are  always  held  in 
the  apartments  of  the  lying-in  l^^idies  ;  for  in  this  happy 
climate,  child-bearing  is  divested  of  all  its  terror?,  and 
is  only  considered  as  a  party  of  pleasure.  This  circnm- 
stance  we  were  ignorant  of,  till  t'other  n.ornirg  The 
D  ike  of  Verdura,  who  does  us  the  honours  of  the  place, 
■with  great  attention  and  politeness,  can  e  to  tell  ns,  we 
had  a  vi-it  to  make,  that  was  indispensable.  "  The  Prin- 
cess Patcrna  (said  he)  was  broiiglit  to  bed  last  night ;  and 
it  is  absolutely  incumbent  on  you  to  pay  vour  respects  to 
her  this  evening'*  At  first  I  tlicught  he  was  in  joke,  but 
he  assured  me  he  was  serious,  and  that  it  would  be  ]ot;ked 
upon  as  a  great  unpoliteness  to  neglect  it. — Accornii^gly 
we  went  about  sun-set,  and  found  the  princess  setting  up 
in  her  bed,  in  an  elegant  undress,  with  a  number  of  her 
friends  around  her.  She  talked  as  usual,  and  seemed  to 
be  perfccily  well.  This  conversation  is  repeatv'^-d  every 
night  during  her  convalescence,  which  generally  lasts  for 
about  el 'ven  or  twelve  days.  This  custom  is  univerFal, 
and  as  the  ladies  here  are  very  prolific,  there  are  for  the 
most  part  three  or  four  of  these  assemblies  going  on  in 
the  city  at  the  same  time  ;  possibly  the  Marino  n)ay  not 
a  little  cont?ibute  towards  them. 

Tiie  Sicilian  ladies  marry  at  thirteen  or  fourteen,  and 
are  sometimes  grandn^others  before  they  are  thirty  — 
The  Count  Stctela  presented  us  a  few  days  ago  to  his 
cousin,  the  Princess  Partana,  who  he  told  us  had  a  great 
num'jer  of  children,  the  eldest  of  which  was  a  very  fine 
girl  of  fiDeen.  We  talked  to  the  princess  for  half  an  hour, 
not  in  the  least  doubting  all  the  time  that  she  was  the 
(daughter,  till  at  last  the  young  lady  can.e  in  ;  and  even 
then,  it  was  not  easy  to  say  which  appeared  the  hard- 
Romest  or  the  youngest.  This  bdy  has  had  twelve  chil- 
dren, and  is  still  in  her  bloom  ;  she  assured  nr.e  that  she 
never  enjoyed  more  perfect  health  than  svhcn  she  was  in 
child-bed  ;  that  during  the  time  of  her  pregnancy  she  was 
ofien  im'isposed,  but  that  immediately  on  delivery  she 
was  cured  of  all  her  complaints,  and  was  capiiblc  of  enjoy-  . 
ing  the  comp.my  of  her  friends  even  nore  than  at  any  o- 
ther  lime.  I  expressed  my  surprise  at  this  very  singular 
happiness   of  their  climate  or  constiluuons ;  but  she  ap- 


Sicily  and  Malta.  173 

peared  still  more  surprised  when  I  told  her  that  we  lost 
many  of  our  finest  women  in  childbed,  and  that  even  the 
most  fortunate  and  easy  deliveries  were  attended  with 
\iolent  pain  and  anguish.  She  lamented  the  fate  of  our 
ladies,  and  thanked  Heaven  that  she  was  born  a  Sicilian, 

What  this  singularity  is  owing  to,  let  the  learned  de- 
termine ;  but  it  is  surely  one  of  the  capital  blessings  of 
these  climates,  where  the  curse  that  was  laid  upon  mother 
Eve  seems  to  be  entirely  taken  off:  I  don't  know  how  the 
ladies  here  have  deserved  this  exemption,  as  they  have 
at  least  as  much  both  of  Eve  and  the  serpent  as  ours  have, 
and  still  retain  their  appetite,  as  strong  as  ever,  for  forbid- 
den fruit: — It  seems  hard,  that  in  our  own  country,  and  in 
Swhzerland,  where  the  women  in  general  are  the  chastest 
in  Europe,  that  this  curse  should  fall  the  heaviest :  it  is 
probably  owing  to  the  climate  : — In  cold,  but  more  par- 
ticularly in  mountainous  countries,  births  are  difficult  and 
dangerous  ;  in  warm  and  low  places  they  are  more  easy ; 
the  air  of  the  first  hardens  and  contracts  the  fibres,  that  of 
the  second  softens  and  relaxes  them.  In  some  places  in 
Switzerland,  and  amongst  the  Alps,  they  lose  almost  one 
half  of  their  women  in  childbed,  and  these  that  can  afford 
it,  often  go  down  to  the  low  countries  some  weeks  be- 
fore they  lie  in,  and  find  their  deliveries  much  easier. — 
One  may  easily  conceive  what  a  change  it  must  make 
upon  the  whole  frame,  to  add  the  pressure  of  a  column  of 
air  of  two  or  three  thousand  feet  more  than  it  is  accus- 
tomed to:  and  if  muscular  motion  is  perform.ed  by  the 
pressure  of  the  atmosphere,  as  some  have  alleged,  how 
much  must  this  add  to  the  action  of  every  muscle  I — 
However,  if  this  hypothesis  were  true,  our  strength 
should  have  been  diminished  one-third  on  the  top  of 
^£tna,  which  did  not  appear  to  be  the  case  ;  as  we  had 
passed  through  one-third  of  the  quantity  of  air  of  the 
whole  atmosphere.  I  have  often  thought  that  physicians 
pay  too  little  attention  to  these  consideraiions ,  and  that 
in  skilful  hands  they  might  be  turned  to  great  acccount, 
in  the  cure  of  many  diseases  :  they  only  send  their  pa- 
tients to  such  a  degree  of  latitude,  but  never  think  of  the 
degree  of  altitude  in  the  atn»osphere.  Thus,  people  with 
the  same  complaints  are  sent  to  Aix  and  to  Marseilles,  al- 
though the  air  in  these  iwo  places  must  be  essentially 
different.  Marseilles  is  4)h  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  Aix. 
Q3 


174  A  Tour  through 

(as  I  myself  measured  it)  is  near  six  hundred  feet  above 
it. — Now  I  am  persuaded,  that  in  such  a  country  as  SAvit- 
zerland,  or  on  such  a  mountain  as  iEtna,  where  it  is  easy 
at  all  times  to  take  off  a  pressure  from  the  human  body 
of  many  thousand  pounds  weight,  that  an  ingenious  phy- 
sician might  make  great  discoveries ;  nor  indeed  would 
these  discoveries  be  confined  to  the  changing  of  the  quan- 
tity of  air  that  presses  on  the  body,  but  would  likewise  be 
extended  to  the  changing  of  the  quality  of  the  air  we 
breathe  ;  which,  on  the  side  of  JLtna,  or  any  very  high 
mountain,  is  more  varied  than  in  travelling  through  fifty 
degrees  of  latitude.  I  beg  pardon  for  this  digression  ; 
the  only  amends  I  can  make,  is  to  put  it  out  of  my  power 
to  trouble  you  with  any  more,  ajud  thus  abruptly  assure 
von  ho\T  much,  Sec. 


LETTER  XXIII. 


Palermo^  June  26. 

OUR  fondness  for  P^alermo  increases  every  day,  and 
we  are  beginning  to  look  forward  with  regret  ta 
ihe  time  of  our  leaving  it,  which  is  now  fast  approach- 
ing. We  have  made  acquaintance  with  many  sensible 
and  agreeable  people.  The  Sicilians  appear  frank  and 
sincere ;  and  their  politeness  does  not  consist  in  shew  and 
5:rimace,  like  some  of  the  polite  nations  of  the  continent. 
The  viceroy  sets  the  pattern  of  hospitality,  and  he  is  fol- 
lowed by  the  rest  of  the  nobles.  He  is  an  amiable,  agree- 
able man,  and,  I  believe,  is  aa  much  beloved  and  esteem- 
ed as  a  viceroy  to  an  absolute  monarch  can  be.  He  was 
in  England  in  his  youth,  and  is  still  fond  of  many  of  our 
authors,  with  whom  he  seems  to  be  intimately  acquainted; 
he  speaks  the  language  tolerably  well>and  encourages  the 
learning  of  it  amongst  his  people. — He  may  be  consider- 
ed with  regard  to  Naples,  as  what  the  lord  lieutenant  of 
Ireland  is  with  regard  to  England,  with  this  trifling  dif- 
ference, that,  like  his  master,  he  is  invested  with  absolute 
authority  j  and  keeps  his  parliament  (for  he  has  one  too) 


Sicily  and  Malta .  1 75 

in  the  most  perfect  subjection.  The  patriots  here,  al- 
though a  very  numerous  body,  have  never  been  able  to 
gain  one  point,  no  nor  a  place,  nor  even  a  pension  for  a 
needy  friend.  Had  Lord  Townshend  the  power  of  the 
Marquis  Fogliano,  I  suppose  your  Hibernian  squabbles 
(of  which  we  hear  so  much,  even  at  this  distant  corner) 
would  soon  have  an  end. — Notwithstanding  this  great 
authority,  he  is  affable  and  familiar,  and  makes  his  house 
agreeable  to  every  body.  We  go  very  often  to  his  as- 
semblies, and  have  dined  with  him  several  times ;  his 
table  is  served  with  elegance  and  magnificence,  much 
superior  indeed  to  that  of  his  Siciliam  majesty,  who  eats 
off  a  service  of  plate,  at  least  three  hundred  years  old, 
very  black  and  rusty  indeed :  I  heard  a  gentleman  ask 
one  day,  whilst  we  were  standing  round  the  table,  if  it 
had  not  been  dug  out  of  Herculaneum.  That  of  the  vice- 
roy is  very  elegant,  and  indeed  the  whole  of  his  enter- 
tainments correspond  with  it;  though  we  have  as  yet 
seen  nothing  here  to  be  compared  to  the  luxury  of  our 
feast  in  the  granary  at  Agrigentum. 

The  Sicilian  cookery  is  a  mixture  of  the  French  and 
Spanish  ;  and  the  Olio  still  preserves  its  rank  and  dignity 
in  the  centre  of  the  table,  surrounded  by  a  numerous  train 
of  fricasees,  fi  icandeaus,  ragouts,  and  pet  de  loups ;  like 
a  grave  Spanish  don  amidst  a  number  of  little  smart  mar- 
quises.— The  other  nobility,  whom  we  have  had  occasion 
to  see,  are  likewise  very  magnificent  in  their  entertain- 
ments ;  but  most  particularly  in  their  desserts  and  ices, 
of  which  there  is  a  greater  variety  than  I  have  seen  in 
any  other  country.  They  are  very  temperate  with  re- 
gard to  wine ;  though,  since  we  have  taught  them  our 
method  of  toasting  ladies,  they  are  fond  of  it,  and  of  hob 
and  nobing  with  their  friends,  ringing  the  two  glasses 
together  j  this  social  practice  has  animated  them  so  much, 
that  they  have  been  sometimes  led  to  drink  a  greater 
quantity  than  they  are  accustomed  to ;  and  they  often  re- 
proach us  with  having  made  them  drunkards.  In  their 
ordinary  living  they  are  very  frugal  and  temperate  ;  and 
from  the  sobriety  we  have  seen  here,  we  are  now  more 
persuaded  that  the  elevated  situation  of  Agrigentum  must 
be  one  great  cause  of  its  drunkenness. 

The  Sicilians  have  always  had  the  character  of  beinr^ 
very  amorous,  and  surely  not  without  reason.       Th^ 


176  A  Town  through 

whole  nation  are  poets,  even  the  peassnts ;  and  a  man 
stands  a  poor  chance  for  a  mistress,  that  is  not  capable  of 
celebrating  her  praises.  I  believe  it  is  generally  allowed, 
that  the  pastoi'al  poetry  had  its  origin  in  this  iskiid :  and 
Theocritus,  after  whom  they  still  copy,  will  ever  be  look- 
ed upon  as  the  prince  of  pastoral  popts.  And  indeed  in 
music  too,  as  well  as  poetry,  the  soft,  amorous  pieces, 
are  generally  styled  Siciliani ;  these  they  used  to  play  all 
night  under  their  mistresses*  windows,  to  express  the 
delicacy  of  their  passion ;  but  serenading  is  not  now  so 
much  in  fashion  as  it  was  during  the  time  of  their  more 
intimate  connexion  with  Spain,  when  it  was  said  by  one 
of  their  authors,  that  no  person  could  pass  for  a  man  of 
gallantry  that  had  not  got  a  cold ;  and  was  sure  never  to 
succeed  in  making  love,  unless  he  made  it  in  a  hoarse 
voice.  The  ladies  are  not  now  so  rigid,  and  will  some- 
times condescend  to  hear  a  man,  even  although  he  should 
speak  in  a  clear  tone. — Neither  do  they  any  longer  re- 
quire the  prodigious  martial  feats  that  were  then  neces- 
sary to  win  them. — The  attacking  of  a  mad  bull,  or  a 
wild  boar,  was  reckoned  the  handsomest  compliment  a 
lover  could  pay  to  his  mistress ;  and  the  putting  these 
animals  to  death  softened  her  heart  much  more  than  all 
the  sighing  love  sick  tales  that  could  be  invented.  This 
has  been  humorously  ridiculed  by  one  of  their  poets. — 
He  says  that  Cupid's  little  golden  dart  was  now  changed 
into  a  massy  spear,  which  answered  a  double  purpose  ; 
for  at  the  same  time  that  it  pierced  the  tough  bull's  hide, 
it  likewise  pierced  the  tender  lady's  heart.  But  these 
Gothic  customs  are  now  confined  to  Spain,  and  the  gentle 
Sicilians  have  re-assumed  their  softness.  To  tell  you  the 
truth,  gallantry  is  pretty  much  upon  the  same  footing 
here  as  in  Italy  ;  the  establishment  of  Ciccisbees  is  pretty 
jy^^nerul,  though  not  quite  so  universal  as  on  the  continent. 
Ho^vvver,  a  breach  of  the  marriage  vow  is  no  longer  look* 
ed  upon  as  one  of  the  deadly  sins;  and  the  confessors  fall 
upon  easy  and  pleasant  enough  methods  of  making  them 
atone  for  it.  The  husbands  are  content ;  and,  like  able 
gen  ^rals,  make  up  for  the  loss  of  one  fortress  by  the 
taking  of  another  However,  female  licentiousness  has 
by  no  means  come  to  such  a  height  as  in  Italy.  We  have 
seen  a  great  d^al  of  domestic  happiness }  husbands  and 
wives  that  truly  love  one  another,  and  whose  mutual  Qar§ 


Sicily  and  Malta  177 

and  pleasure  is  the  education  of  their  children.  I  could 
name  a  number; — the  Duke  Verdiira,  the  Prince  Par- 
tana,  the  Count  Buscemi,  and  many  others,  who  live  in 
the  most  sacred  union.  Such  sights  are  very  rare  rn  ihe 
continent.  But  indeed  the  style  that  young  people  are 
brought  up  in  here,  seems  to  lay  a  much  more  solid 
fnundaiion  for  mairinionial  liappinf.-sf,  than  either  in 
France  or  Italy.  The  young  htdies  are  not  shut  up  in 
<:onvents  till  the  day  of  their  marriage,  but  for  the  most 
p  irt  live  in  ihc  house  with  their  parents,  where  they  re- 
ceive th(  Ir  ef'ucaiion,  and  are  every  day  in  company  with 
th(ir  friends  and  relations.  Frrm  wliat  I  can  obseive,  I 
ihitik  ihey  are  all'  wed  alnicst  as  much  liberty  as  with  us. 
In  therr  o;rcal  assfmbiies  we  often  sec  a  club  of  young 
pf'ople  (of  both  sexes)  get  togciher  in  a  corner,  and  amuse 
thf  niselves  for  hours,  at  cross  purposes  or  such  like 
gam.e«,  withrDut  the  mothers  b«  ing  under  the  least  anxi- 
ety ;  iniieed,  we  sometimes  join  in  these  liltle  parties, 
and  find  them  extremicly  entertaining.  In  gcnerid,  they 
are  quick  and  lively,  and  have  a  nunriber  of  those  jtujc 
(Tesfirit^  which,  I  think,  must  ever  be  a  proof,  in  nil  coun- 
tries, of  the  familiar  intercourse  beluixt  the  young  peo- 
ple of  the  two  sexes  ;  for  all  these  games  are  insipid,  if 
they  are  not  seasoned  by  something  of  that  invisible  and 
subtile  agency,  which  renders  every  thing  more  interest- 
ing in  these  mixed  societies,  than  in  the  lifeless  ones, 
composed  of  onlv  one  part  of  the  species.  Thus,  in  Italy, 
Spain,  and  Portugal,.!  have  never  seen  any  of  these 
games;  in  France  seldom,  but  in  Switzerland  (where  the 
greatest  liberty  and  familiuriry  are  enjoyed  amongst  the 
young  people)  they  are  numberless. But  the  conver- 
sation hour  is  arrived,  and  our  carriage  is  waiting.—* 
Adieu. 


T 


LETTER  XXIV. 

Palermo^  June  2S. 
HERE  are  two  small  countries,  one  to  the  east,  ih^ 
other  to  the  west  of  this  city,  where  the  principaf 


17»  A  Tour  through 

nobility  have  their  country  palaces  Both  these  we  have 
visited ;  there  are  many  noble  houses  in  each  of  them. 
That  to  the  east  is  called  La  Bagaria  ;  that  to  the  west, 
II  CoUe. — We  are  this  instant  returned  from  La  Bd^aria, 
and  I  hasten  to  j^ive  you  an  account  of  the  ri^li^  ulous 
things  we  have  seen,  though  perhaps  you  will  not  thank 
me  for  it. 

The  palace  of  the  Prince  of  Valg^uanera  is,  I  think,  by 
much  the  finest  and  most  beautif'il  of  all  the  houses  of 
the  B  igaria  ;  but  it  is  far  from  bei;  ,e:  the  most  extraor- 
dinary :  were  I  to  describe  it,  I  should  only  tell  you  of 
things  you  have  often  seen  and  heard  t)f  in  other  coun- 
tries, so  I  sh^ll  only  spe;  k  of  one.  which,  for  its  singular- 
ity, certainly  is  not  to  be  parnlleled  on  the  face  of  the 
earth  ;  it  belongs  to  the  Prince  of  P a  man  of  im- 
mense fortune,  who  has  devoted  his  whole  life  to  the  stu- 
dy of  monsters  and  chimeras,  greater  and  more  ridiculous 
than  ever  entered  into  the  imagination  of  the  wildest 
writers  of  romance  and  knight-errantry. 

The  amazing  crowd  of  statues  that  surround  his  house, 
appear  at  a  distance  like  a  little  army  drawn  up  for  its 
defence  ;  but  when  you  get  amongst  them,  and  every  one 
assumes  his  true  lifceness,  you  imagine  you  have  got  into 
the  regions  of  delusion  and  enchantment ;  for  of  all  that 
immense  group,  there  is  not  one  made  to  represent  any  ob- 
ject in  nature  ;  nor  is  the  absurdity  of  the  wretched  ima- 
gination that  created  them  less  astonishing  than  its  won- 
derful fertility.  It  would  require, a  volume  to  describe 
the  whole,  and  a  sad  volume  indeed  it  would  make.  He 
has  put  the  heads  of  men  to  the  bodies  of  every  sort  of 
animal,  and  the  heads  of  every  other  animal  to  the  bodies 
of  men.  Sometimes  he  makes  a  compound  of  five  or 
six  animals  that  have  no  sort  of  resemblance  in  nature. 
He  puts  the  head  of  a  lion  to  the  neck  of  a  goose,  the 
body  of  a  lizard,  the  legs  of  a  goat,  the  tail  of  a  fox.  On 
the  back  of  this  monster,  he  puts  another,  if  possible  still 
more  hideous,  with  five  or  six  hea^ls,  end  a  bush  of  horns, 
that  beats  the  beasts  in  the  Revelations  all  to  nothing. 
There  is  no  kind  of  horn  in  the  world  that  he  has  not 
collected  ;  and  his  pleasure  is  to  see  them  all  flourishing 
upon  the  same  head.  This  is  a  strange  species  of  mad- 
ness ;  and  it  is  truly  unaccountable  that  he  has  not  been 
shut  up  many  years  ago  j  but  he  is  perfectly  innocentj 


^cihj  and  MaHa,  179 

and  troubles  no  one  by  the  indulgence  of  his  frer.zy  ;  on 
the  contrary,  he  gives  bread  to  a  nun.brr  of  statuaries 
and  other  workmen,  whom  he  rewards  in  proportion  as 
they  can  bring  their  imagination  to  coincide  with  his  o\  n ; 
or,  in  other  words,  according  to  the  hideousness  of  the 
monsters  they  produce.  It  would  be  idle  and  tiresome 
to  be  particular  in  an  account  of  these  absurdjtit^s.  The 
statues  that  adorn,  or  rather  deform  the  grei^t  avenue, 
and  surround  the  court  of  the  palace,  amount  already  to 
six  hundred,  notwithstanding  which,  it  may  be  truly  said, 
that  he  has  not  broke  the  second  commandment ;  for  of 
all  that  number,  there  is  not  the  IJkeness  of  any  thing  in 
heaven  above,  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  in  the  waters  under 
the  earth.  The  old  ornaments,  which  were  put  up  by 
his  father,  who  was  a  sensible  man,  appear  to  have  been 
in  a  good  taste.  They  have  all  been  knocked  to  pieces, 
and  laid  together  in  a  heap,  to  make  room  for  this  new 
creation. 

The  inside  of  this  enchanted  castle  corresponds  exactly 
with  the  out ;  it  is  in  every  respect  as  whimsical  and  fan- 
tastical, and  you  cannot  turn  yourself  to  any  side,  where 
you  are  not  stared  in  the  face  by  some  hideous  figure  or 
other.  Some  of  the  apartments  are  spacious  and  magni- 
ficent, with  high  arched  roofs;  which,  instead  of  plaster 
or  stucco,  are  composed  entirely  of  large  mirrors,  nicely 
joined  together  The  effect  that  these  produce  (as  each 
of  them  make  a  small  angle  with  the  other),  is  exactly 
that  of  a  multiplying  glass ;  so  that  when  three  or  four 
people  are  walking  below,  there  is  always  the  appear?inre 
of  three  or  four  hundred  walking  above.  The  whole  of 
the  doors  are  likewise  covered  over  with  small  pieces  of 
mirror,  cut  into  the  most  ridiculous  shapes,  and  inter- 
mixed with  a  great  variety  of  chrys'al  and  glass  of  differ- 
ent colours.  All  the  chimney-pieces,  windows,  and  side- 
boards, arecro.vded  with  pyramids  and  pillars  of  tea-pots, 
caudle-cups,  bowls,  cups,  saucers,  Sec  strongly  cemented 
together;  some  of  these  columns  are  not  without  their 
beauty  :  one  of  them  has  a  large  china  chamber-pot  for 
its  base,  and  a  circle  of  pretry  little  flower-pots  for  its 
capital ;  the  shaft  of  the  column,  upwards  of  four  feet 
l"ng,  is  composed  entirely  if  tea-pots  of  different  sizes, 
diminished  gradually  from  the  base  to  the  capital  The 
profusion  of  china  that  has  been  employed  in  forming 


180  A  Ton?'  through 

these  columns  is  incredible ;  I  dare  say  there  is  not  less 
than  forty  pillars  and  pyramids  formed  in  this  strange  fan- 
tastic manner. 

Most  of  the  rooms  are  paved  with  fine  marble  tables 
©f  different  colours,  that  look  like  so  many  tomb-stones. 
Some  of  these  are  richly  wrought  with  lapis  luz'.ili,  por- 
phyry, and  other  valuable  stones  ;  their  fine  polish  is  now 
gone,  and  they  only  appe  ir  like  common  marble ;  the 
pi  ice  of  •hrs'^  beautiful  tables  he  has  supplied  by  a  new 
«et  of  his  own  iuvention,  some  of  which  are  not  without 
th  ir  merit  These  are  mads  of  the  finest  tortoise-shell, 
mixed  with  m.ither  of  pearl,  ivory,  and  a  variety  of  metals; 
and  are  mounted  on  fine  stands  of  solid  brass. 

The  windows  of  this  enchanted  castle  are  composed  of 
a  variety  of  ghss  of  every  different  colour,  mixed  without 
anv  sort  of  order  or  regularity  :  Blue,  red,  green,  yellow, 
purple,  violet.  So  that  at  each  window,  you  may  have  the 
heavens  and  earth  of  whatever  colour  you  choose,  only 
by  looking  through  the  pane  that  pleases  you 

The  liouse  clock  is  castd  in  the  body  of  a  statue;  the 
eyes  of  the  figure  move  v.'iih  tlie  pendulum,  turning  up 
their  white  and  black  alternately,  and  make  a  hideous  ap- 
pearance. 

Ilis  bed-chamber  and  dressing-room  are  like  two  apart- 
ments in  Noah's  ark ;  tht-re  is  scarce  a  beast,  however  vile, 
that  he  has  not  placed  there;  toarls,  frogs,  serpents,  li- 
zards, scorpions,  all  cut  out  in  marble,  of  their  respective 
colours.  There  are  a  j5;ood  many  busts  too,  that  are  not 
less  singularly  imagined. — Some  of  these  make  a  very 
handsome  profile  on  one  side  ;  turn  to  the  other,  and  you 
have  a  skeleton  ;  here  you  see  a  nurse  with  a  child  in  her 
arms  ;  its  back  is  exactly  that  of  an  infant ;  its  face  is  that 
of  a  wrinkled  old  woman  of  ninety. 

For  some  minutes  one  can  hiugh  at  these  follies,  but 
indignation  and  contempt  soon  get  the  better  of  your 
mirth,  and  the  laugh  is  turned  into  a  sneer.  I  own  I  was 
soon  tired  of  them  ;  though  some  things  a»-e  so  strangely 
fiincied,  tl^.at  it  may  well  excuse  a  little  mirth,  even  from 
the  most  rigid  cynic. 

The  family  statues  arc  charming  ;  they  have  been  done 
from  some  old  pictures,  and  make  a  most  venerable  ap- 
pearance;  he  has  dressed  them  out  from  hfad  to  foot  in 
nwy  and  elegant  suits  of  majble ;  and  indeed  the  efiect 


Sicily  and  Malta,  181 

it  produces  is  more  ridiculous  than  any  .thinp:  you  can 
conceive.  Their  shoes  are  all  of  black  maible,  their 
stockings  generally  of  red;  their  clothes  are  of  different 
colours,  blue,  green,  and  variegated,  with  a  rich  lace  of 
giall*  antique.  The  periwigs  of  the  men  and  head  dresses 
of  tho  ladies  are  of  fine  white;  so  are  their  shirts  with 
long  flowing  ruffles  of  alabaster.  The  walls  ol  the  house 
are  covered  with  some  fine  basso  relievos  of  white  mar- 
ble, in  good  taste  ;  these  he  could  not  well  take  out  or 
alter,  so  he  has  o^.ly  added  imnnense  frames  to  them. — 
Each  frame  is  composed  of  four  large  marble  tables. 

The  author  and  owner  of  this  singular  collection  is  a 
poor  miserable  lean  figure,  shivering  at  a  breeze,  and 
seems  to  be  afraid  of  every  body  he  speaks  to  ;  but  (what 
surprised  me)  I  have  heard  him  talk  speciously  enough 
on  several  occasions.  He  is  one  of  the  richest  subjects 
in  the  island,  and  it  is  thought  he  has  not  laid  out  less 
than  L  20.000  in  the  creation  of  this  world  ol  monsters 
and  chimeras. — He  certainly  might  have  fillen  upon 
some  way  to  prove  himself  a  fool  at  a  cheaper  rate  — 
However,  it  gives  bread  to  a  number  of  poor  p'^oph  ,  to 
whom  he  is  an  excellent  master.  His  house  at  P  .lermo 
is  a  good  deal  in  the  same  style  ;  his  carriages  are  cover- 
ed with  plates  of  brass,  so  that  I  really  believe  some  of 
them  are  musket  proof. 

rhe  goveinment  have  had  serious  thoughts  of  demo- 
lishing the  regiment  of  monsters  he  has  placed  round  his 
house ;  but  as  he  is  humane  and  inoffensive,  and  as  this 
would  certainly  break  his  heart,  they  have  as  yet  forborne. 
However,  the  seeing  of  them  by  women  with  child  is 
said  to  have  been  already  attended  with  very  unfortunate 
circumstances ;  several  living  monsters  having  been 
brought  forth  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  ladies  com- 
plain that  they  dare  no  longer  take  an  airing  in  the  Ba- 
garia;  that  some  hideous  form  always  haunts  their  ima- 
gination for  some  time  af'er  :  their  husbands  too,  it  is 
said,  are  as  little  satisfied  wit'i  the  great  variety  of  horns. 
—  Adieu.  I  shall  write  you  ag?.in  by  next  post,  as  mai* 
t^r  multiplies  fast  upon  me  in  this  metropolis. 

Ever  yours.. 


18Q  A  Tour  throng fl 


LETTER  XXV. 


Palermo,  June  30. 

THE  account  the  people  give  us  here  of  the  Siroccj 
or  south-east  wind,  is  truly  wonderful;  to-day, ^t 
the  viccroy*s  we  were  complaining  of  the  violence  of  the 
heat,  the  thermometer  being  at  seventy-nine.  They 
assured  us,  that  if  we  staid  till  the  end  of  next  month,  we 
should  probably  look  on  this  as  pleasant  cool  weather; 
adding,  that  if  we  had  once  experienced  the  Sirocc,  all 
other  weather  will  appear  temperate. — 1  asked  to  what 
degree  the  thermometer  commonly  rose  during  this 
wind  ;  but  found  to  my  surprise,  that  there  was  no  such 
instrument  in  use  amongst  them  :  however^  the  violence 
of  it,  they  assure  us,  is  incredible ;  and  that  those  who 
had  remained  many  years  in  Spain  and  Malta,  had  never 
felt  any  heat  in  those  countries  to  compare  to  it. — How 
it  happens  to  be  more  violent  in  Palermo  than  in  any 
other  part  of  Sicily,  is  a  mystery  that  siill  remains  to  be 
unfolded.  Several  treatises  have  been  written  on  this 
subject,  but  none  that  give  any  tolerable  degree  of  satis- 
faction. As  we  shall  stay  for  some  time  longer,  it  is  pos- 
sible we  may  have  an  opportunity  of  giving  you  some 
account  of  it. 

They  have  begun  some  weeks  ago  to  make  prepara- 
tions for  the  great  feast  of  St.  Rosolia  ;  and  our  friends 
here  say  ihey  are  determined  that  we  shall  nol  leave 
them  till  after  it  is  over;  but  this  1  am  afraid  will  not  be 
in  our  power.  The  v/arm  season  advances,  and  the  lime 
v/e  appointed  for  our  return  to  Naples  is  already  elapsed  ; 
but  indeed,  return  when  we  will,  we  shall' make  but  a 
bad  exchange;  and  \Yere  it  not  for  those  of  our  own  coun- 
try whom  we  have  left  behind  us,  we  certainly  should 
have  determined  on  a  much  longer  stay-  But  although 
the  society  here  is  superior  to  that  of  Naples,  yet, — call 
it  prejudice — or  call  it  what  you  v. ill,  theie  is  aje  ne  *^ai 
<]uoi>t — A  certain  confidence  in  the  character,  the  worth 
and  friendship  of  our  own  people,  that  I  have  seldom  felt 
any  where  on  the  continent,  except  in  Switzerland.  This 


Sicihj  and  Malta,  188 

sensation,  which  consiitutes  the  charm  of  society,  and 
can  alone  render  it  supportable  for  any  time,  is  only  in- 
spired by  something  anulopjous  and  synjpathctic  in  our 
feelinj^s  and  seniiments ;  like  two  instruments  that  are 
in  unison  and  vibrate  to  each  other's  touch  ;  for  society 
U  a  concert,  and  if  the  instruments  are  not  in  tin,c,  there 
never  can  be  harmony  ;  and  (to  carry  on  the  metaphor) 
this  harmony  too  must  sometimes  be  htiehtened  and  sup- 
ported by  the  introduction  of  a  discord;  but  where  dis- 
cords predominate,  which  is  often  the  case  between  an 
English  and  an  Iiaiiyn  mind,  the  music  must  be  wretched 
indeed.  Had  we  but  a  little  m.ixture  of  our  own  society, 
how  gladly  should  wc  spend  the  winter  in  Sicily  :  but  we 
often  think  with  regret  on  Mr.  Hamilton's  and  ]Mr.  Wal- 
ter's families ;  and  wish  again  to  be  on  the  continent. — 
Indeed,  even  the  pleasures  we  enjoy  here,  we  owe  prin- 
cipally to  Mr.  Hamilton  ;  his  recommendations  we  have 
ever  found  to  be  the  best  passport  and  introduction  ;  and 
the  zeal  and  cordiality  with  which  these  arc  al-vays  re- 
ceived, proceeds  evidently  not  from  motives  of  deference 
and  respect  to  the  minister,  but  of  love  and  affection  to 
the  man 

This  morning  we  went  to  see  a  celebrated  convent  of 
Capuchins,  about  a  mile  without  the  city  ;  it  contai.-.s 
nothing  very  remarkable  but  the  burial  place,  which  in- 
deed is  a  great  curiosity.  This  is  a  vast  subterraneous 
apartment,  divided  into  large  commodious  galleries,  the 
walls  on  each  vde  of  which  are  hollowed  into  a  variety 
of  niches,  as  if  intended  for  a  great  collection  of  statues  ; 
these  niches,  instead  of  statues,  are  all  filled  with  dead 
bodies,  set  upright  upon  their  legs,  and  fixed  by  the  back 
to  the  inside  of  the  niche  :  their  number  is  rbout  three 
hundred ;  they  are  all  dressed  in  the  clothes  they  usually 
■\vore,  andjform  a  most  respectable  and  venerable  assem- 
bly. The  skin  and  niuscles,  by  a  certain  preparation, 
become  as  dry  and  hard  as  a  piece  of  stockfish;  and  al- 
though many  of  them  have  been  here  upwards  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty  years,  yet  none  are  reduced  to  skele- 
tons ;  the  muscles,  indeed,  in  some  appear  to  be  a  good 
deal  more  shrunk  than  in  others  ;  probably  because  these 
persoiis  had  been  more  extenuated  at  the  time  of  their 
death. 

Here  the  people  of  Palermo  pay  daily  visits  to  their 


184  A  Tour  throv^k 


i^' 


deceased  friends,  and  recal  with  pleasure  and  regret  the 
scenes  of  their  past  life:  here  they  familiarize  themselves 
with  their  future  state,  and  choose  the  company  they 
would  wish  to  keep  in  the  other  world.  It  is  a  common 
ihing  to  make  clioice  of  their  niche,  and  to  try  if  their 
body  fits  it,  that  no  alterations  may  be  necessary  after 
they  are  dead  ;  and  sometimes,  by  way  of  a  voluntary  pe- 
nance, they  accustom  themselves  to  stand  for  hours  in 
Uiese  niches. 

TtU'  bodies  of  the  princes  and  first  nobility  are  lodged 
in  handsonie  chests  or  trunks,  some  of  them  richly  a- 
domed  :  these  are  not  in  the  shape  of  cofBns,  but  all  of 
one  width,  and  about  a  foot  and  a  half  or  two  feet  deep. 
The  keys  are  kept  by  the  nearest  relations  of  the  family? 
who  sometimes  come  and  drop  a  tear  over  their  departed 
friends. 

I  am  not  sure  if  this  is  not  a  better  method  of  disposing 
of  the  dead  than  ours.  These  visits  must  prove  admirable 
lessons  of  humility  ;  and  I  assure  you,  they  are  not  such 
objects  of  horror  as  you  would  imagine  :  they  are  said, 
even  for  ages  after  death,  to  retain  a  strong  likeness  to 
what  they  were  when  alive  ;  so  that,  as  soon  as  you  have 
conquered  the  first  feeling  excited  by  these  venerable 
fi.^ures,  you  only  consider  this  as  a  vast  gallery  of  original 
portraits,  drawn  after  the  life,  by  the  justest  and  most 
unprejudiced  hand.  It  must  be  owned  that  the  colours 
iiro  rather  faded ;  and  the  pencil  does  not  Lppear  to  have 
been  the  most  fldttering-  in  the  world  ;  but  no  matter,  it  is 
the  p'^iucil  of  truth,  and  not  of  a  mercenary,  who  oi>}y 
wants  to  please.  VVe  weie  alleging  too,  that  it  miglit 
be  made  of  very  considerable  uiility  to  society  ;  and  that 
these  dumb  orators  c.uld  give  the  most  pathetic  lectures 
\ij)on  pride  and  vanity.  Whenever  a  ftUow  beg^n  to 
strut,  like  Mr  B.  or  to  affect  the  haughty  supercilious 
air,  he  should  be  sent  to  converse  with  his  friends  in  the 
gdl^ry;  and  if  their  arguments  did  not  bring  him  to  a 
proper  way  of  thinking,  I  would  give  him  up  as  incor- 
rigible. 

At  Bologna  they  shewed  us  the  skeleton  of  a  celebrated 
beauty?  who  died  at  a  period  of  life  when  she  was  still 
the  object  of  universal  admiraiidn.  By  way  of  making 
atonement  for  her  own  vanity,  she  bequeathed  herself  as 
a  monumeRt,  to  curb  the  vanity  of  others.     Recolleciing 


^cily  and  Malta-.  18^ 

oil  her  death-bed  the  great  adulation  that  had  been  paid 
to  her  charms,  and  the  fatal  change  they  were  soon  to 
undergo,  she  ordered  that  her  body  should  be  dissected, 
and  her  bones  hung  up  for  the  inspection  of  all  young 
maidens  who  are  inclined  to  be  vain  of  their  beauty  -*- 
However,  if  she  had  been  preserved  in  this  moral  gallery, 
the  lesson  would  have  been  stronger ;  for  those  very  fea- 
tures that  had  raised  her  vanily  would  still  have  remain- 
ed, only  divested  of  all  their  power,  and  disarmed  of  every 
charm. 

Some  of  the  Capuchins  sleep  in  these  galleries  every 
night,  and  pretend  to  have  many  wonderful  visions  and 
revelations  j  but  the  truth  is,  that  very  few  people  believe 
them. 

No  woman  is  ever  admitted  into  this  convent  either 
dead  or  alive  ;  and  this  interdiction  is  written  in  large 
characters  over  the  gate.  The  poor  indolent  Capuchins, 
the  frailest  of  all  flesh,  have  great  need  of  such  precau- 
tions :  they  have  no  occupation  from  without,  and  they 
have  no  resources  within  themselves ;  so  that  they  must 
be  an  easy  prey  to  every  temptation  :  Bocaccio,  and  all 
the  books  of  that  kind,  are  filled  with  stories  of  iheir 
frailty. — Yesterday,  dining  at  the  Prince  of  Sperlinga's, 

and  talking  on  this  subject,  the  Abbe  T gave  us  an 

anecdote  of  a  friend  of  his,  who  was  formerly  a  brother 
of  this  convent.  He  is  known  by  the  name  of  Fra  Pas- 
qual,  and  has  passed  through  many  singular  scenes  of  life, 
which  it  would  be  too  long  to  recount.  His  last  migra- 
tion, or,  if  you  will,  transmigration,  was  from  one  of  the 
banditti  of  this  kingdom,  in  which  capacity  he  had  been 
enrolled  for  some  time  ;  but,  tired  of  the  danger  and 
fatigue  to  which  he  was  perpetually  exposed,  he  at  last 
determined  to  exchange  the  character  of  the  hero  for 
that  o5  the  saint,  and  try  if  it  was  not  both  safer  and 
surer  to  rely  on  thtf  weakness  of  oihers  than  on  our  own 
strength. 

Fra  Pasqual  pretended  a  strong  compunction  for  the 
transgressions  of  his  past  life,  and  made  a  promise  to  the 
Virgin,  that  the  remainder  of  it  should  be  spent  in  mor- 
tification and  penance,  to  atone  fv)r  them.  To  this  end 
Pasqual  took  the  vows  of  poverty  and  of  chastity,  and  en- 
tered into  all  the  rigours  of  the  monastic  life,  tor  some 
weeks  he  behaved  in  a  most  exemplary  m^inncrj  he  went 

11  2 


18^  A  Tour  ihroii^i 


i2' 


barefooted,  wore  a  large  rosary,  and  a  thicker  cord  of 
discipline  thun  any  monk  in  ihe  convent ;  and  his  whole 
deportment  gave  testimony  of  the  most  unfeigned  re- 
pentance :  however,  the  devil  was  still  at  work  in  the 
heart  of  P:isqual,  and  all  these  external  mortifications 
only  made  him  woi  k  the  harder ;  in  short,  he  found  it 
impossible  to  drive  him  out:  Pasqual  was  sensible  of 
tliis  ;  and  afraid  lest  the  enemy  should  at  last  get  the 
better  of  hin;,  he  thought  it  advisable  to  have  at  Palermo 
the  character  of  sanctity  he  had  acquired,  and  begin  some- 
where else  upon  a  new  score  He  embark:  d  for  Naples, 
where  he  was  soon  admitted  into  a  Capuchin  convent. 

As  Pasq\i:il  knew  from  experience,  that  the  dull  uni- 
formity cf  the  monastic  life  required  some  liitle  amuse- 
ments to  render  it  supportable,  the  first  thing  he  set  about 
was  to  find  a  mistress.  He  made  love  to  a  lady  of  easy 
virtue,  who  soon  admitted  his  addresses,  but  at  the  same 
time  informed  him,  tliat  he  had  a  formidable  rival,  who 
was  jealous  as  a  tyger,  and  would  not  fail  to  put  them 
both  to  death,  should  he  discover  the  intrigue.  This  was 
no  other  than  a  lifeguard-man,  a  fellow  of  six  feet  two 
inches,  with  a  vast  spada,  like  that  of  Goliah,  i.nd  a  mon- 
strous pair  of  curled  whiskers,  that  v/ould  have  cast  a 
damp  on  the  heart  of  any  man  but  Fra.  Pasqual ;  but  the 
monastic  life  had  not  yet  enervated  him  ;  he  v/as  accus- 
tomed to  danger,  and  loved  a  few  difficulties ;  however, 
us  in  his  present  character  he  could  not  be  on  a  footing 
with  his  rival,  he  thought  it  best  only  to  make  use  of  pru- 
dence and  stratagem  to  supplant  him:  these  are  the  ec- 
clesiastical arms,  and  they  have  generally  been  found  loo 
bard  for  the  military. 

Th#  lady  promised  him  an  interview  so  soon  as  the 
ocurt  should  go  to  Portici,  where  the  lifeguard  man's 
duty  obliged  him  to  attend  the  king.  Pasqual  Wcited 
with  impatience  for  sonic  time ;  at  last  the  wished-for 
night  arrived;  the  king  set  off,  after  the  opera,  with  all 
his  guards.  Pasqual  flew  like  lightning  to  the  arms  of 
his  mistress;  the  preliminaries  were  soon  settled,  and  the 
happy  lovers  had  just  f.illen  asleep,  when  they  were  sud- 
denly alarmed  by  a  rap,  and  a  well-known  voice  at  the 
door.  The  lady  started  up  in  an  agony  of  despair,  assur- 
ing Pasqual  that  they  were  both  undone  ;  that  this  was 
her  loy«r;  and  if. some  expedien^t  was  not  fallen  upon>iEU 


Sicily  atid  Malta.  IS^^ 

the  first  transports  of  his  fury,  he  would  certainly  put 
them  both  to  death.  There  was  no  time  for  if  flection  j 
the  lifeguard-man  denianded  entrarxe  in  the  most  pe- 
remptory manner,  and  the  lady  was  oblit^ed  to  instant 
compliance.  Pasqual  had  just  time  to  gather  his  rags 
together,  and  cram  himself  in  below  the  bed  ;  at  that  in- 
stant the  door  opmed,  and  the  giant  came  it,  rattling  his 
arms,  and  storming  at  his  mistress,  for  having  made  him 
wait  so  long;  however,  she  soon  pacified  him.  He  then 
ordered  her  to  strike  a  light,  that  he  might  see  to  un- 
dress : — this  struck  Pasqual  to  the  soul,  and  he  gave  him- 
self up  for  lost ;  however,  the  lady's  address  saved  him, 
when  he  least  expected  it.  In  bringing  the  tinder,  she 
took  care  to  let  fall  some  winter  into  the  box ;  and  all  the 
beating  she  and  her  lover  could  beat,  they  could  not  pro- 
duce one  spark.  £very  stroke  of  the  flint  sounded  in 
Pasqual's  ears  like  the  death-knell ;  but  when  he  heard 
the  lifeguard-man  swearing  at  the  tinder  for  not  kindling, 
he  began  to  conceive  some  hopes,  and  blessed  the  fertile 
invention  of  woman.— Thu  lady  told  him  he  might  easily 
get  a  light  at  the  guard,  which  was  at  no  great  distance. 
Pasqual's  heart  leaped  with  joy; — but  when  the  soldier 
answered  that  he  was  absent  without  leave,  and  durst  not 
be  seen,  it  again  began  to  flag  ;  but  on  his  ordering  her  to 
go — it  died  within  him,  and  he  now  found  him.self  in 
greater  danger  than  ever.  The  lady  herself  was  discon- 
certed ;  but  quickly  recovering,  she  told  him,  it  would 
be  too  long  before  she  could  get  dressed;  but  advised  him 
to  go  to  the  corner  of  a  neighbouring  street,  where  there 
was  a  lamp  burning  before  the  Virgin  Mary,  who  could 
have  no  objection  to  his  lighting  a  candle  at  it.  Pasqti&l 
revived  ;  but  the  soldier  declared  he  was  too  much  fa- 
tigued with  his  walk,  and  would  rather  undress  in  the 
dark ;  he  at  the  same  tin>e  began  to  grope  below  the  bed 
for  a  bottle  of  liquors,  which  he  knew  stood  there. — Pas- 
qual shook  like  a  Quaker, — however,  still  he  escaped. 
The  lady  observing  what  he  was  f-bout,  njade  a  spring, 
and  got  him  the  bottle,  at  the  very  instant  he  was  within 
an  inch  of  seizing  Pasqual's  head.  The  lady  then  went 
to  bed,  and  told  her  lover,  as  it  was  a  cold  night,  she 
would  warm  his  place  fcr  him.  Pasqual  arinined  her  ad- 
dress, and  began  to  conceive  some  hopes  of  escaping. 
His  situation  was  tl)e  most  irksome  in  the  world  j  the. 


188  A  Tour  through 


'£>' 


bed  was  so  low»  that  he  had  no  room  to  move;  and  when 
the  great  heavy  lifeguard-man  entered  it,  he  found  him- 
self squeezed  down  to  the  ground.  He  lay  trembling  and 
stifling  his  breath  for  some  time,  but  found  it  absolutely 
impossible  to  support  his  situation  till  morning ;  and  in- 
deed, if  it  had,  his  clothes,  which  were  scattered  about, 
must  infallibly  discover  him  :  he  therefore  began  to  think 
of  making  his  escape;  but  he  could  not  move  without 
alarming  his  rival,  who  was  now  lying  above  him.  At 
first  he  thought  of  rushing  suddenly  cut,  and  throwing 
himself  into  the  street ;  but  this  he  disdained,  and  on  se* 
cond  thoughts,  determined  to  seize  the  lifeguard-man*s 
sword,  and  cither  put  him  to  death,  or  make  an  honour- 
able capitulation  both  for  himself  and  the  lady.  In  the 
midst  of  these  reflections,  his  rival  began  to  snore,  and 
Pasqual  declares  that  no  music  was  ever  so  grateful  to 
his  soul.  He  tried  to  stir  a  little,  and  finding  that  it  did 
not  awi-ike  the  enemy,  he  by  degrees  worked  himself  out 
of  his  prison.  He  immediately  laid  hold  of  the  great 
spada; — when  all  his  fears  forsook  him,  and  he  felt  as 
bold  as  a  lion.  He  now  relinquished  his  dastardly  scheme 
of  escaping,  and  only  thought  how  he  could  best  retaliate 
on  his  rival,  for  all  that  he  had  made  him  suff*er. 

As  Pasqual  was  stark  naked,  it  was  no  more  trouble  to 
him  to  put  on  the  soldier's  clothes  than  his  own  ;  and  as 
both  his  cloak  and  his  cappouch  together  were  not  worth 
a  sixpence,  he  thought  it  most  eligible  to  equip  himself 
a  la  militaire,  and  to  leave  his  sacerdotal  robes  to  the 
soldier.  In  a  short  time  he  was  dressed  cap-a-pie.  His 
greasy  cowl,  his  cloak,  his  sandals,  his  rosary,  and  his 
rope  of  discipline,  he  gathered  together,  and  placed  on  a 
chair  before  the  bed  ;  and  girding  himself  with  a  great 
buff  belt,  instead  of  the  cordon  of  St.  Francis,  and  grasp- 
ing his  trusty  toledo  instead  of  the  crucifix,  he  sallied 
forth  into  the  street.  He  pondered  for  some  time  what 
scheme  to  fall  upon ;  and  at  first  thought  of  returning  in 
the  character  of  another  lifeguard-man,  pretending  to 
have  been  sent  by  the  officer  with  a  guard  in  quest  of  his 
companion,  who  not  being  found  in  his  quarters,  was  sup- 
posed to  have  deserted  ;  and  thus,  after  having  made  him 
pay  heartily  for  all  that  he  had  suff'ered  under  the  bed, 
to  leave  him  to  the  enjoyment  of  his  panic,^and  the  ele- 
gant suit  of  clothes  he  hitd  provided  Uim»    However,  he 


Sicll^  and  Malta.  189 

was  not  satisfied  with  this  revenge,  and  determined  on 
one  still  more  solid.  He  went  to  the  guard,  and  told  the 
officer  that  he  had  met  a  Capuchin  friar,  with  all  the  en- 
signs of  his  sanctity  about  hin,  skulking  through  tlie 
streets  in  the  dead  of  night,  when  they  pretend  to  be 
employed  in  pra\er  for  the  sins  of  mankind  That 
prompted  by  curiosity  to  follow  him,  the  holy  friar,  as 
he  expected,  went  straight  to  the  house  of  a  celebrated 
courtezan  ;  that  he  saw  him  adn  itted.  and  listened  at  the 
window  till  he  hcarcj  ihem  go  to  bed  together;  that  if  he 
did  not  find  this  inforn.atif  n  to  be  true,  he  should  resign 
himself  his  prisoner,  and  submit  to  whatever  punishment 
he  should  this-k  proper. 

The  officer  and  his  guard  delighted  to  have  such  a 
hold  of  a  Capuchin,  (who  pretend  to  be  the  very  models 
of  sanctity,  and  who  revile  in  a  particular  manner  the 
licentious  life  of  the  military),  turned  out  with  the  ut- 
iTiost  alacrity,  and,  under  the  conduct  of  Pasqual,  sur- 
rounded the  lady's  house.  Paaqu^l  began  thundering  at 
the  door,  and  demanded  entrance  for  the  (officer  and  his 
guard.  I'he  unhappy  soldier  waking  with  the  noist,  and 
not  doubting  that  it  was  a  detachment  sent  to  seizn  him, 
gave  himself  up  to  despair,  and  instantly  took  shelter 
in  the  very  place  that  Pasqisal  had  so  lately  occupied  ; 
at  the.same  time  laying  hold  of  all  the  things  he  found 
on  the  chair,  never  doubling  that  they  were  his  own 
clothes.  As  the  lady  was  srn.evhat  dilatoty  in  opening 
the  door,  Pasqual  pretended  to  put  his  fool  to  it,  when 
up  it  flew,  and  entering  with  the  officer  and  his  guard, 
demanded  the  body  of  a  Capuchin  friar,  who  they  w-.  re 
informed  lodged  with  Ijer  that  night.  The  lady  had 
heard  Pasqual  go  our,  and  having  no  suspicion  that  he 
would  inform  against  himself,  she  protested  her  innocence 
in  the  most  solemn  mannet ,  taking  all  the  saints  to  wit- 
ness that  she  knew  no  such  perscn  :  but  Pasqual,  sus- 
pecting the  retreat  of  the  lover,  began  grc  ping  br-low  the 
bed,  and  soon  pulled  out  his  own  greasy  cowl  and  cloi  k ; 
— "  Here  (said  he  to  the  cfficer) — here  are  proofs  enough ; 
I'll  answer  for  it,  Signor  Padre  himself  is  at  no  great 
distance.'* — And  putting  his  nose  below  the  bed — '  Fogh 
(says  he)  I  snrell  him  , — he  stinks  like  a  fox.  The  surest 
method  of  finding  a  Capuchin  is  by  the  nose  ;  you  may 
wind  him  a  mile  off."  Then  lowering  their  lanthorn,  they 


190  A  Tour  tkrougU 

beheld  the  unfortunate  lover  squeezed  in  betwixt  the  bed 
and  the  ground,  and  almo'^t  stifled — "  Ecco  lo  (said  Pas- 
qual)  here  he  is,  with  all  the  ensigns  of  his  holiness ;" 
and  pulling  them  out  one  by  one, — the  crucifix,  the  ro- 
sary, and  the  cord  of  discipline, — "  You  may  see  (said 
he)  that  the  reverend  fuiher  came  here  to  do  penance  ;" 
and  taking  up  the  cord, — "  Suppose  now  we  should  as- 
sist him  in  this  meritorious  work.  Andiamo^  Signer  Fa- 
dre^ — andzamc. —  VVe  will  save  you  the  trouble  of  in- 
flicting it  yourself; — and  whether  you  came  here  to  sin,' 
or  to  repent,  by  your  own  maxims,  you  know,  a  little 
sound  discipline  is  healthful  to  the  soul."  The  guard 
were  lying  round  the  bed  in  convulsions  of  laughter;  and 
began  breaking  the  most  galling  and  most  insolent  jokes 
upon  the  supposed  padre.  The  lifeguard  man  thought 
hirnself  enchanted.  He  at  last  ventured  to  speak,  and 
declared  they  were  all  in  a  mistake: — that  he  was  no 
Capuchin : — upon  which  the  laugh  redoubled,  and  the 
coarsest  jokes  were  repeated.  The  lady,  in  the  mean 
time,  with  the  best  dissembled  marks  of  fear  and  asto- 
nishment, ran  about  the  room,  exclaiming — Oime  Siamo 
fierduti. — Siamo  incantaii^ — Siamo  insorccleti** — Pasqual, 
delighted  to  see  that  hi5  plan  had  taken  its  full  effect, 
thought  it  now  time  to  make  his  retreat  before  the  un- 
fortunate lover  could  have  an  opportunity  of  examining 
his  clothes,  and  perliaps  detecting  him :  he  therefore 
pretended  regimental  business*  and  regretting  much  that 
he  was  obliged  to  join  his  corps,  took  leave  of  the  officer 
and  his  guard  ;  at  the  same  time  recommending  by  all 
means  to  treat  the  holy  father  with  all  that  reverence  and 
respect  that  was  due  to  so  sacred  a  person 

The  lifeguard-man,  when  he  got  cut  from  below  the 
'bed,  began  to  look  about  for  his  clothes;  but  observing 
nothing  but  the  greasy  weeds  of  a  Capuchin  friar,  he  was 
nov/ perfectly  convinced,  that  Heaven  had  delivered  him 
over,  for  his  offences,  to  the  power  of  some  demon  ;  (for 
of  all  mortals  the  N'eapolitan  soldiers  are  the  most  super- 
stitious)— The  lady  too,  acted  her  part  so  well,  that  he 
had  no  longer  any  doubt  of  it  — '•  Thus  it  is  (said  he  in  a 
penitential  voice)  to  offend  heaven  ! — I  own  my  sin  — I 
kne-,v  it  was  Friday,  and  yet — O  flesh,  flesh! — Had  it 
l#een  any  other  day,  I  still  should  have  remained  what  I 


Sicilij  and  Malta.  191 

Was.         O)  St.  Gennaro !  I  passed  thee*  too  without  pay- 

iiii;  the  cue  resptci: thy  all-seeing  eye  has  found  mc 

out      Gentivmen,  do  viih  me  what  you  please:  I  am  not 

■what  I  seem  lo  be*' ''  No,  no,  (said  the  officer)  we 

are  sensible  of  that-  But  come,  Signor  Padre,  on  uiih 
your  garnicnt*?,  and  march  ; — we  have  no  time  to  trifle. 
Here,  corporal — (i^iving  him  the  cordon)  tie  his  hi-nds, 
and  let  hiin  i"er-l  the  weight  of  St  Francis.  I'he  saint 
owes  him  tiicii,  for  having  so  imprudently  denied  him  for 
his  master."  The  poor  soldier  was  perfectly  passive  ; 
—I hey  arrayed  him  in  the  sandals,  the  cowl,  iir.d  the 
cloak  of  Fra  Pasqual,  and  put  the  great  rosary  about  his 
neck  ;  and  a  most  woeful  figure  he  made.  The  officer 
made  hi.u  look  in  the  glass,  to  try  if  he  could  recollect 
hi.T.self,  and  asked  if  he  was  a  Capuchin  now  op  not  — 
He  Wris  shocked  at  his  own  appearance ;  but  bore  every 
thing  with  meekness  and  resignation.  They  then  con- 
ducted him  to  the  guard,  belabouring  him  all  the  way 
with  the  cord  of  St.  Francis,  and  asking  him  every  stroke, 
if  he  knew  his  master  now. 

In  the  mean  time,  Pasqaal  was  snug  in  his  convent, 
enjoying  the  sweets  of  his  adventure.  He  had  a  spare 
oloak  and  cowl,  and  was  soon  equipped  again  like  one 
of  the  holy  fathers :  he  then  took  the  clothes  and  accou- 
trements of  the  lifeguard-man,  and  laid  them  in  a  heap, 
near  the  gate  of  another  convent  of  Capuchins,  but  at  a 
great  distance  from  his  own,  reserving  only  to  himself  a 
trifle  of  money  which  he  found  in  the  breeches  pocket, 
just  to  indem.nify  hiin  for  the  loss  of  his  cloak  and  his 
cowl :  and  even  this,  he  says,  he  should  have  held  sacred, 
but  he  knew  whoever  should  find  the  clothes  would  make 
lawful  prize  of  it. 

The  poor  soldier  remained  next  day  a  spectacle  of  ri- 
dicule to  all  the  world  ;  at  last  his  companions  heard  of 
his  strange  metamorphosis,  and  came  in  troops  to  see 
him ;  their  jokes  were  perhaps  still  more  galling  than 
those  of  the  guard,  but  as  he  thought  himself  under  the 
finger  of  God,  or  at  least  of  ht.  Januarius,  he  bore  all 
with  meekness  and  patience ;  at  last  bis  clothes  were 


*  A  celebrated  etatue  of  St.  Januaiius,  betwiit  Portici  aai 
"Kaples.. 


19^  A  Tour  through 

found,  and  he  was  set  at  liberiy  ;  but  he  believes  fo  this 
day,  that  the  whole  v.  as  the  work  of  the  devil,  sent  to 
chdsiise  him  f  >r  his  sins  ;  and  has  never  since  seen  his 
mistress  on  a  Friday,  nor  p-tssed  the  statue  of  St.  Janua- 
lius  without  muttering  a  prayer.  Fra  Pasqual  has  told 
the  story  to  several  of  his  most  intimate  friends,  whom 
he  can  depend  on,  amongst  whom  is  the  Abbe  T-t-i,  who 
has  often  had  it  from  his  own  mouth. 

1  beg  pardon  for  this  long  story ;  had  I  suspected  that 
it  would  have  run  out  to  half  this  length,  I  assure  you  I 
should  not  have  troubled  you  with  it.  Perhaps,  however, 
you  will  ti^ink  this  apology  precisely  the  most  unneces- 
sary, and  most  imptninent  part  of  it  all.  This  is  often 
the  fate  of  apologies,  particularly  for  long  letters  :  First, 
because  it  i\lwdys  makes  them  longer  \ — Secondly.— Hey- 
day 1  where  are  we  going  now?  To  return  then  to  our 
subject.  We  had  no  sooner  left  the  Capuchin  convent, 
than  our  carri  .ge  broke  down,  long  before  we  reached 
the  city :  and  as  walking  (at  Palermo  as  well  as  Naples) 
is  of  all  things  the  most  disgraceful,  we  lisked  by^this 
unfortunate  accident  to  have  our  characters  blasted  for 
ever.  H.iwever,  Philip,  our  Sicilian  servant,  took  care 
to  make  such  a  noise  about  it,  that  our  dignity  did  not 
much  suffer.  He  kept  a  little  distance  before  us,  pest- 
ing  and  blasting  all  the  way  at  thejr  cursed  crazy  carri- 
ages ;  and  swearing  that  there  never  was  any  thing  in 
the  world  so  infamous;  that  in  a  cify  like  Palermo,  the 
capital  of  all  Sicily,  Signori  of  our  rank  and  dignity 
should  be  obliged  to  walk  on  foot ;  that  it  must  be  an 
eternal  refl.ction  against  the  place, — and  bawled  out  to 
every  person  he  met,  if  there  was  ro  coaches  to  be  had; 
no  carriages  of  any  kind,  either  for  love  or  money.  In 
short,  we  had  not  got  half  through  the  street,  before  we 
had  several  offers  from  gentlemen  of  our  acquaintance, 
"Who  lamented  exceedingly  the  indignity  we  had  suffered, 
and  wondered  much,  that  we  did  not  rather  send  forward 
a  servant  for  another  coach,  and  wait  (in  the  heat  of  the 
sun)  till  it  arrived 

This  is  not  the  only  time  that  Philip's  wi's  have  been 
of  service  to  us  on  such  occasions.  A  few  nights  ago  we 
hid  a  dispute  with  our  coachman  ;  turned  hin»  off,  and 
had  not  provided  another.  We  were  unfortunately  en- 
gaged to  go  to  the  gprcat  conversation.     What  was  to  be 


Sicily  and  Malta,  19S 

tlonef — No  such  thing  as  walkincj. — Should  we  be  caught 
in  the  fact,  we  are  disgraced  for  ever. — It  would  be  worse 
than  to  be  caught  in  that  of  adultery. — No  ahernalive, 
however.  There  was  not  a  coach  to  be  had,  and  our  old 
coachman  would  not  serve  us  for  one  night  only. — Philip 
made  sad  wry  faces,  and  swore  the  coachman  rught  to  be 
crucified  ; — but  when  he  saw  us  Lenten  walking,  he  was 
slill  more  distressed  ;  and  1  really  believe,  if  we  h  d  been 
discovered-  that  he  would  not  have  served  us  any  longer. 
He  therefore  set  his  wits  to  w'^ik  hov/  he  should  pre- 
serve both  his  masters*  honour  and  his  own  place.  lie 
at  fiist  hesitated,  before  he  would  take  up  the  fl-imbeau  ; 
but  he  would  by  no  means  be  prevailed  on  to  light  it.— 
**  What. (said  Philip)  do  you  think  I  have  no  more  regaid 
for  you,  than  to  expose  you  to  the  eyes  of  the  whole 
world  ?  No,  no,  gentlemen  ;  if  you  will  bring  yourselves 
to  disgrace,  you  shall  net  at  least  make  me  the  agent  of 
shewing  it :  but  remember,  if  you  are  observed  walking, 
no  mortal  will  believe  you  ke<  p  a  coach  ;  and  do  not  ex- 
pect after  that  to  be  received  into  company  ?" — "  Well, 
well,  Philip,  do  as  you  please,  but  we  must  go  to  the  con- 
versation."— Philip  shrugged  up  his  shoulders — ''  Dia^ 
boh — die  faremo  I  ^ndiaino  dujique  Signori — andiamo'^ 
So  saying,  he  led  the  way,  and  we  followed. 

Philip  had  studied  the  geography  of  the  town;  he  con- 
ducted us  through  lanes  only  known  to  himself,  and  care<- 
fully  avoided  the  great  street ;  till  at  last  we  arrived  at  a 
little  entry,  which  leads  to  the  conversation  rooms  ;  here 
the  carriages  usually  stop.  We  slipt  up  the  entry  in  the 
dark;  when  Philip,  darting  into  a  shop,  lighted  his  flam- 
beau in  an  instant,  and  came  rushing  before  us,  bawling 
out — ''  Piazza  ficr  gli  Signori  sorresiieri ;^'' — when  all  the 
world  immediately  made  way  for  us.  After  we  had  got 
into  the  rooms,  he  called  so  loud  after  us,  asking  at  what 
lime  he  should  order  the  coach  to  return,  that,  overcome 
partly  by  risibility,  and  partly  by  a  consciousness  of  the 
deceit,  not  one  of  us  had  power  to  answer  him.  Philip, 
however,  followed  us.  and  repeated  the  question  so  often, 
that  we  were  obliged  to  give  him  a  reply,  "  a  mezzo 
notte."  At  midnight  he  came  to  tell  us  that  the  coach 
was  ready  We  were  curious  to  see  how  he  would  be- 
have on  this  occasion  ;  for  it  was  not  half  so  difficult  to 
get  ill  unobserved,  as  to  get  out :  however,  Philip's  ge- 


194  A  Tour  ihrougk 

nius  was  equal  to  both.  As  soon  as  we  got  into  the  entry, 
he  ran  to  the  door,  bawling  out  Antonio,  as  hard  as  he 
could  roar.  No  Antonio  answered  ; — and  unfortunately, 
there  was  a  number  of  gentle«»en  and  ladies  going  away 
at  the  same  time.  They  begged  of  us,  as  strangers,  to 
step  first  into  our  carriage,  and  absolutely  refused  to  go 
before  us.  Philip  was  sadly  puzzled  —He  first  ran  up 
the  street,  then  he  ran  down,  and  came  back  all  out  of 
breath,  cursing  Antonio.  "  That  rascal  (said  he)  is  ne- 
ver in  the  way,  and  you  must  turn  him  off.  He  pretends 
that  he  could  not  get  up  his  coach  to  the  door,  for  the 
great  crowd  of  carriages;  and  is  waiting  about  fifty  yards 
below.  Vostri  Eccellenzi  had  better  step  down  (said 
Philip)  otherwise  you  will  be  obliged  to  wait  here  at  least 
half  an  hour.**  We  took  leave  of  the  company,  and  set 
off.  Philip  ran  like  a  lamp-lighter,  till  he  had  almost 
passed  the  carriages,  when  dashing  his  flambeau  on  the 
ground,  as  if  by  accident,  he  extinguished  it,  and  getting 
into  a  narrow  lane,  he  waited  till  we  came  up ;  when  he 
•whispered  us  to  follow  him, — and  conducted  us  back,  by 
the  same  labyrinth  we  had  come  ;  and  thus  saved  us  from 
eternal  infamy.  However,  he  assures  us,  that  he  will 
not  venture  it  again  for  his  place. 

Now,  what  do  you  think  of  a  nation  where  such  preju- 
dices as  these  prevail?  It  is  pretty  much  the  case  all 
over  Italy.  An  Italian  nobleman  is  ashamed  of  nothing 
so  much  as  making  use  of  his  legs.  They  think  their 
dignity  augmented  by  the  repose  of  their  members  ;  and 
that  no  man  can  be  truly  respectable,  that  does  not  loll 
away  one  half  of  his  time  on  a  sofa,  or  in  a  carriage. 
In  short,  a  man  is  obliged  to  be  indolent  and  effeminate, 
not  to  be  despised  and  ridiculous  What  can  we  expect 
of  such  a  people  ?  Can  they  be  capable  of  any  thing 
great  or  manly,  who  seem  almost  ashamed  to  appear 
nien  ! — I  own,  it  surpasses  my  comprehension  ;  and  I 
bless  my  stars  every  time  I  think  of  honest  John  Bull, 
even  with  all  his  faults.  Will  you  believe  me,  that,  of 
all  that  I  have  known  in  Italy,  there  are  scarce  half  a 
dozen  that  have  had  fortitude  enough  »o  subdue  this  niost 
contemptible  of  all  human  prejudices  ?  The  pvince  of 
Campo  l^ranco  too  in  this  place,  is  above  it.  He  is  a 
noble  fellow,  and  both  in  his  person  and  character,  greatly 
resembles  our  late  ..worthy  friend,  General  Craufurd. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  195 

He  is  a  major-general  too,  and  always  dresses  in  his 
uniform,  which  still  increases  the  resemblance.  Every 
lime  I  see  him,  he  says  or  does  something  that  recalls 
strongly  to  mind  the  idea  of  our  noble  general.  He 
laughs  at  the  follies  of  his  country,  and  holds  these 
wretched  prejudices  in  that  contempt  they  deserve  — 
"  What  would  the  old  hardy  Romans  think  (said  he, 
talking  on  this  subject)  were  they  permitted  to  take  a 
view  of  the  occupations  of  their  prageny  ?  I  should  like 
to  see  a  B^'utus  or  a  Cassius  amongst  us  for  a  little  : — 
how  the  clumsy  vulgar  fellows  Wf  uid  be  hooted  I  dare 
say  they  would  soon  be  glad  to  return  to  the  shades 
again  " 

Adieu ; — for  some  nights  past  we  have  been  observing 
the  course  of  a  comet ;  and  as  we  were  the  first  people 
here  that  took  notice  of  it,  I  assure  you,  we  are  locked 
upon  as  very  profound  astronomers.  I  shall  say  more  of 
it  next  letter.  We  have  now  got  out  of  our  abominable 
inn,  and  have  taken  a  final  leave  of  our  French  landlady. 
The  Count  Bushemi,  a  very  amiable  young  man,  has 
been  kind  enough  to  provide  us  a  lodging  on  the  sea- 
shore ;  one  of  the  coolest  and  most  agreeable  in  Palermo. 

Ever  yours,  £cc. 


LETTER  XXVI. 


Palermo ^  July  2. 

OUR  comet  is  now  gone  ;  we  first  observed  it  on  the 
24th.  It  had  no  tail,  but  was  surrounded  with  a 
faintish  ill-defined  light,  that  made  it  look  like  a  bright 
star  shining  through  a  thin  cloud.  This,  in  all  probabi- 
lity, is  owing  to  an  atmosphere,  around  the  bodvofthe 
comet,  that  causes  a  refraction  of  the  rays,  and  prevents 
them  from  reaching  us  with  that  distinctness  we  observe 
in  bodies  that  have  no  atmosphere.  We  were  still  the 
more  persUaded  of  this  two  nights  ago,  when  we  had  the 
good  fortune  to  catch  the  comet  just  passing  close  by  a 


f^&  A  Tour  through 

small  fixed  star,  whose  light  was  not  only  considerably 
dif.'.ned,  but  we  thought  we  observed  a  sensible  change 
©f  place  in  the  star,  as  soon  as  its  rays  fell  into  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  comet ;  owing  no  doubt  to  the  refraction  in 
passing  thrrugh  that  atmosphere.  We  attenspred  to 
trace  the  line  of  the  comet's  course,  but  as  we  could  find 
no  globe,  it  was  not  possible  to  do  it  with  any  degree  of 
precision.  Its  direction  was  almost  due  north,  and  its 
velocity  altogether  an.azing.  We  did  not  (b^erve  it  so 
minutcrly  the  two  or  three  first  nights  of  its  appearance, 
but  on  the  30th  it  was  at  cur  zenith  here,  (latitude  38  10  ; 
longitude  fiom  London  13)  i>bout  five  minutes  after  mid- 
night;  and  last  night,  the  first  of  July,  it  passed  fnul' 
degrees  to  the  east  of  the  polar  star,  nearly  at  40  minutes 
afier  eight.  So  that,  in  less  than  24  hours,  it  has  de- 
scribed a  great  arch  in  the  heavens,  upwards  of  50  de- 
grees ;  which  gives  an  idea  of  the  most  amazing  velocity. 
Supposing  it  at  the  distance  of  the  sun,  at  this  rate  of 
travf.lHng.  it  would  go  round  the  earth's  orbit  in  less  than 
a  week:  which  uK:kes,  1  think,  considerably  more  than 
60  ntillions  of  miles  a-day  ;  a  motion  that  vastly  surpasses 
all  human  comprehension.  And  as  this  motion  continues 
to  be  greatlv  accelerated,  what  nmsi  it  be,  when  the  co-. 
met  approaches  still  nearer  to  the  body  of  the  sun  I  Last 
night  a  change  of  place  was  observable  in  the  space  of  r 
fev/  minutes,  particularly  when  it  passed  near  any  of  the 
fixed  stars.  We  attempted  to  find  if  it  had  any  observa- 
ble parallax,  but  the  vast  rapidity  of  its  motion  always 
prevented  us ;  for  whatever  fixed  stars  it  was  near  in  the 
horizon,  it  had  got  so  far  to  the  north  of  them,  long  before 
it  reached  the  meridian,  that  the  parallax,  if  there  was 
any,  entirely  escaped -us. 

I  shall  long  much  to  see  the  observations  that  have 
been  made  with  you,  and  in  other  distant  countries,  on 
this  comet ;  as  from  these,  we  shall  probably  be  enabled 
to  form  some  judgmetit  of  its  distance  from  the  earth  : 
which,  although  we  could  observe  no  paralhx,  I  am  apt 
to  beli-ve  was  not  very  great,  as  its  motion  was  so  very 
perceptible.  We  could  procure  no  instruments  to  mea- 
sure its  apparent  distance  from  any  of  the  fixed  stars,  so 
that  the  only  two  observations  any  thing  can  be  made  of, 
are,  the  time  of  its  passing  the  polar  star  last  night,  its 
distance  from  It,  and  the  time  of  its  arrivtil  at  our  z^^nith 


Sicily  and  Malta.  197 

on  the  SOlh;  this  we  found  by  applyipg  our  eye  to  a 
strai^jht  rod,  hung  perpendicularly  from  a  small  thread. 
The  comet  was  iioi  in  the  exact  point  of  the  zenith,  but 
to  the  best  of  our  observation  about  six  or  seven  ir.inutes 
to  the  north  of  it.  Last  night  it  was  visible  almost  im- 
mediately after  sun-set ;  long  before  any  of  the  fixed  stars 
appeared.  It  is  now  immersed  in  the  rays  of  the  sun, 
and  has  certainly  got  very  near  his  body.  If  it  returns 
again  to  the  regions  of  space,  it  will  probably  be  visible 
in  a  few  days,  but  I  own  I  should  much  doubt  of  any  such 
return,  if  it  is  really  by  the  attractive  force  of  the  sun 
that  it  is  at  present  carried  with  such  amazing  celerity 
towards  him.  This  is  the  third  comet  of  this  kind,  whose 
return  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  watching  ;  but  never 
was  fortunate  enough  to  find  any  of  them  after  they  had 
passed  the  sun  ;  though  those  that  do  really  return,  ap- 
pear at  that  time  much  more  luminous  than  before  they 
approached  him. 

The  astronomy  of  comets,  from  what  I  can  remember 
of  it,  appears  to  be  clogged  with  very  great  difficulties, 
and  even  some  seeming  absurdities.  It  is  difficult  to  con- 
ceive, that  these  immense  bodies,  after  being  drawn  to  the 
sun  wi'h  the  velocity  of  a  million  of  miles  in  an  hour  ; 
when  they  have  at  last  come  almost  to  tcucii  him,  should 
then  fly  off  from  his  body,  with  the  same  velocity  ihcy  ap* 
proacli  it  ;  and  that  too,  by  the  power  of  this  very  motion 
that  his  attraction  has  occasioned — Tiie  dcm.onstralion  of 
this  I  remember  is  very  curious  and  ingenious  :  but  I  wish 
it  may  be  entirely  free  from  sophistry.  No  doubt,  in 
bodies  moving  in  curves  round  a  fixed  ccnuc,  as  the  cen- 
tripetal motion  increases,  tlic  centrif\:gal  one  increases 
likewise  ;— but  how  this  motion,  wliicli  is  only  generated 
by  the  former,  should  at  last  get  the  better  rf  the  power 
that  produces  it  ;  and  that  too,  at  the"  very  time  this  power 
has  acquired  its  utmost  force  and  energy,  seems  some- 
what difficuk  to  conceive.  It  is  the  only  insti'nce  I  know, 
wherein  the  effect  increasing  regularly  with  the  cause,  at 
last,  whilst  the  cause  is  still  acting  with  full  vigour,  the 
effect  entirely  gets  the  better  of  the  cause,  and  leaves  it 
in  the  lurch.  For,  the  body  attracted,  is  at  last  carried 
away  with  infinite  velocity  from  the  attiticting  body — ^ 
By  what  pov.'cr  is  it  carried  away  ?  AVhy,  say  our  philo- 
sophers, bv  the  very  power  of  this  attraction,  which  has 
S  2. 


-y*;"* 

%** 


198  A  Tour  through 

now  produced  a  new  power  superior  lo  itself,  to  wit,  the 
centrifugal  force.  However,  perhaps  all  this  may  he  re- 
concileable  to  reason ;  far  be  it  from  me  to  presume  at- 
tacking so  glorious  a  system  as  that  of  attraction.  The 
law  that  the  heavenly  bodies  are  said  to  observe,  in  de- 
scribing equal  areas  in  equal  times,  is  supposed  to  be  de- 
monstrated, and  by  this  it  would  appear,  that  the  centri- 
petal and  centrifugal  forces  alternately  get  the  mastery  of 
one  another. 

However,  I  cannot  help  thinking  it  somewhat  hard  to 
conceive,  that  gravity  should  always  get  the  better  of  the 
centrifugal  force,  at  the  very  time  that  its  action  is  the 
smallest,  when  the  comet  is  at  its  greatest  distance  from 
the  sun  ;  and  that  the  centrifugal  force  should  get  the 
better  of  gravity,  at  the  very  time  that  its  action  is  the 
greatest,  wlien  the  comet  is  at  its  nearest  point  to  the  sun. 

To  a  common  observer  it  would  rather  appear,  that  the 
sun,  like  an  electric  body,  after  it  had  once  charged  the 
objects  that  it  attracted  with  its  own  effluvia  or  atmos- 
phere, by  degrees  loses  its  attraction,  and  at  last  even 
repels  them  :  and,  that  the  attracting  power,  like  what  we 
likewise  observe  in  electricity,  does  not  return  again  till 
the  effluvia  imbibed  from  the  attracting  body  is  dispelled 
or  dissipated  ;  when  it  is  again  attracted,  and  so  on  alter- 
nately. For  it  appears  (at  least  to  an  unphilosophical 
observer)  somewhat  repugnant  to  reason,  to  say  that  a 
body  flying  off  from  another  body,  some  thousands  of 
miles  in  a  minute,  should  all  the  time  be  violently  attract- 
ed by  that  body,  and  that  it  is  even  by  virtue  of  this  very 
attraction  that  it  is  flying  off  from  it.  He  would  probably 
ask,  what  more  could  it  do,  pray,  were  it  really  to  be  re- 
pelled ? 

Had  the  system  of  electricity,  and  of  repulsion  as  well 
as  attraction,  been  known  and  established  in  the  last  age, 
I  have  little  doubt  that  the  profound  genius  of  Newton 
would  have  called  it  to  his  aid  ;  and  perhaps  accounted 
in  a  more  satisfactory  manner  for  many  of  the  great  phe- 
nomena of  the  heavens.  To  the  best  of  my  remembrance, 
we  know  of  no  body  that  possesses,  in  any  considerable 
degree,  the  power  of  attraction,  that  in  certain  circum- 
stances does  not  likewise  possess  the  power  of  repulsion. 
The  magnet,  the  tourmalin,  amber,  glass,  and  every  elec- 
trical substance.     Now,  from  analogy,  as  we  find  the  sun 


Sicity  and  Alalia.  1 99 

so  powerfully  endowed  with  attraction,  why  may  we  not 
likewise  suppose  him  to  be  possessed  of  repulsion  ?  In- 
deed, this  very  power  seems  to  be  confessed  by  the  New- 
tonians to  reside  in  the  sun  in  a  most  wonderful  degree ; 
for  they  assure  us  he  repels  the  rays  of  light  with  such 
amazing  force,  that  they  fly  upwards  of  80  millions  of 
miles  in  seven  minutes.  Now,  why  should  be  confine 
this  repulsion  to  the  rays  of  light  only?  As  they  are 
material,  may  not  other  matter  brought  near  his  body,  be 
affected  in  the  same  manner  ?  Indeed,  one  would  ima- 
gine, that  their  motion  alone  would  create  the  most  vio- 
lent repulsion  ;  and  that  the  force,  with  which  they  are 
perpetually  flowing  from  the  sun,  would  most  efiectually 
prevent  every  other  body  from  approaching  him  ;  for  this 
we  find  is  the  constant  effiect  of  a  rapid  stream  of  any 
other  matter.  But  let  us  examine  a  little  more  his  efi'ects 
on  comets.  The  tails  of  these  bodies  are  probably  their 
atmospheres,  rendered  highly  electrical,  either  from  the 
violence  of  their  motion,  or  from  their  proximity  to  the 
sun  — Of  all  the  bodies  we  know,  Uiere  is  none  in  so  con- 
stant and  so  violent  an  electrical  state,  as  the  higher  re- 
gions of  our  own  atmosphere.  Of  this  I  have  long  been 
convinced ;  for,  send  up  a  kite  with  a  small  wire  about  its 
string,  only  to  the  height  of  12  or  1300  feet,  and  at  all 
times  it  will  produce  fire,  as  I  have  found  by  frequent  ex- 
perience ;  sometimes,  when  the  air  was  perfectly  clear, 
without  a  cloud  in  the  hemisphere  ;  at  other  times,  when 
it  was  thick  and  hazy,  and  totally  unfit  for  electrical  ope- 
rations below.  Now,  as  this  is  the  case  at  so  small  a 
height,  and  as  we  find  the  effect  still  grows  stronger,  in 
proportion  as  the  kite  advances,  (for  I  have  sometimes 
observed,  that  a  blast  of  wind,  suddenly  raising  the  kite 
about  an  hundred  feet,  has  more  than  double  the  effect) 
what  must  it  be  in  very  great  elevations  ?  Indeed,  we 
may  often  judge  of  it  from  the  violence  with  which  the 
clouds  are  agitated,  from  the  meteors  formed  above  the 
region  of  the  clouds,  and  particularly  from  the  aurora 
borealis,  which  has  been  observed  to  have  much  the 
same  colour  and  appearance  as  the  matter  that  forms  the 
tails  of  comets. 

Now  what  must  be  the  cff'ect  of  so  vast  a  body  as  oup 
atmosphere,  made  strongly  electrical,  when  it  happers 
to  approach  any  other  body  ? — It  must  always  be  either- 


aoo  A  Tour  through 


VD' 


violently  allracted  or  repelled,  according  to  the  positive 
or  negative  quality  (in  the  language  of  electricians)  of  the 
body  that  it  approaches. 

It  has  ever  been  observed  that  the  tails  of  comets  (just 
as  we  should  expect,  from  a  very  light  fluid  body,  attached 
to  a  solid  heavy  one)  are  drawn  after  the  comets,  as  long 
as  they  are  at  a  distance  from  the  sun  ;  but  so  sooh  as  the 
comet  goes  near  his  body,  the  tail  veers  about  to  that 
side  of  the  comet  that  is  in  the  opposite  direction  from 
the  sun,  and  no  longer  follows  the  comet,  but  continues 
its  motion  sideways,  opposing  its  whole  length  to  the 
medium  through  which  it  passes,  rather  than  allow  it  in 
any  degree  to  approach  the  sun.  Indeed,  its  tendency 
to  follow  the  body  of  the  comet  is  still  observable,  were 
it  not  prevented  by  some  force  superior  to  that  tendency  ; 
for  the  tail  is  always  observed  to  bend  a  little  to  that  side 
from  whence  the  comet  is  flying.  This,  perhaps,  is  some 
proof  too,  that  it  does  not  move  in  an  absolute  vacuum. 

When  the  comet  reaches  its  perihelion,  the  tail  is 
gjenerally  very  much  lengthened,  perhaps  by  the  rare- 
fraction  from  the  heat ; — perhaps  by  the  increase  of  the 
sun's  repulsion,  or  that  of  his  atmosphere.  It  still  con- 
tinues proje-cied.  exactly  in  the  opposite  direction  from 
the  sun  ;  and  when  the  comet  moves  ofi*  again  to  the 
regions  of  space,  the  tail,  instead  of  following  it,  as  it  did 
on  its  approach,  is  projected  a  vast  way  before  it,  and 
still  keeps  the  body  of  the  comet  exactly  opposed  betwixt 
it  and  the  sun  :  till  by  degrees,  as  tile  distance  increases, 
the  length  of  the  tail  is  diminished  j  the  repulsion  i^robu- 
bly  becoming  weaker  and  weaker. 

It  has  likewise  been  observed,  that  the  length  of  these 
tails  arc  commonly  in  proportion  to  the  proximity  of  the 
comet  to  the  sun.  That  of  1680  threw  out  a  train  that 
v/ould  almost  have  reached  from  the  sun  to  the  earths 
If  this  had  been  attracted  by  the  sunj  would  it  not  have 
fallen  upon  his  body  ?  when  the  comet  at  that  time  was 
not  one-fourth  of  his  diameter  distant  from  him;  but  in- 
stead of  this,  it  was  darted  away  to  the  opposite  side  of 
the  heavens,  even  with  a  greater  velocity  than  that  of  the 
comet  itself.  Now,  what  can  this  be  owing  to,  if  not  to 
a  repulsive  power  in  the  suU;  or  his  atmosphere  ? 

A'kI,  indeed,  it  would  at  first  appear  but  little  less  ab- 
sord  to  say,,  that  the  tail  -of  the  comet  is  all  this  time- 


Sicily  ami  Malta,  ^01 

violenlly  attracted  by  the  sun,  although  it  be  driven  away 
in  an  opposite  direction  from  him,  as  to  si^y  the  san^e  of 
the  comet  itself.  It  is  true,  this  repulsion  seems  to  begin 
much  sooner  to  affect  the  tail  than  the  body  of  the  co- 
met ;  which  is  supposed  always  to  pass  the  sun  before  it 
begins  to  fly  away  from  him,  which  is  by  no  means  the  cast 
with  the  tail  The  repulsive  force,  therefore,  (it  there 
is  any  such),  is  in  a  much  less  proportion  than  the  at- 
tractive one,  and  probably  just  enough  to  counterbalance 
the  latter,  when  these  bodies  are  in  ttieir  perihelions,  and 
to  turn  them  so  m\ich  aside,  as  to  prevent  their  falling 
into  the  body  of  the  sun.  The  projectile  force  they  have 
acquired  will  then  carry  them  out  to  the  heavens,  and 
repulsion  probably  diminishing  as  they  recede  from  the 
sun*s  atuK^^^phere,  his  attraction  v/ill  again  take  place,  and 
retard  their  motion  regularly,  till  they  ai  rive  at  their 
apht li?i,  when  thty  once  more  begin  to  return  to  him. 

I  don*i  know  how  you  will  like  all  this: — Our  comet 
has  ltd  me  a  dance  I  very  little  thought  of;  and  1  believe 
I  should  have  dene  better  to  send  it  at  once  into  the  sun, 
and  had  done  with  it :  and  thtii.  indeed,  I  am  apt  to  believe, 
will  br  its  fate.  For  as  tl.is  camet  has  no  tail,  there  is,  of 
consequence,  no  apparent  repulsion.  If  it  was  repelled, 
its  atmosphere,  like  the  others,  would  be  driven  away  in 
the  opposite  direction  from  the  sun  ;  I  therefore  do  not 
see  any  possible  method  it  has  of  escaping. 

These  comets  are  certainly  bodies  of  a  very  different 
nature  from  those  with  tails,  to  which,  indeed,  they  ap- 
pear to  bear  a  much  less  resemblance  than  they  do  to 
planets  i'  and  it  is  no  small  proof  of  the  little  progres  we 
have  rnade  in  the  knowledge  of  the  universe,  that  they 
have  not  as  yet  been  distinguished  by  a  different  name. 

This  is  the  third  kind  of  body  that  has  been  discovered 
in  our  system,  that  all  appear  essentially  different  from 
each  other,  that  are  probably  regulated  by  different  laws, 
and  intended  for  very  diffiirent  purposes. —  How  much 
will  posterity  be  astonished  at  our  ignorance,  and  wonder 
that  this  system  should  have  existed  for  so  many  thou- 
sand years,  before  v/e  were  in  the  least  acquainted  with 
one  half  of  it,  or  had  even  invented  names  to  distinguish 
its  different  rsenbers  I 

I  have  no  doubt,  that  in  future  ages,  the  number  of 
the  con^.ets,  the  form  of  their  orbi'.?,  ar.d  time  of  their 


20^  A  Tour  through 

revolutions,  will  be  as  clearly  demonstrated  as  thai  of* 
the  planets.  It  is  our  countryman,  Dr.  Huller,  who  has 
be^uii  this  great  work  wliich  may  be  consitlered  just  now 
as  in  its  earliest  inf  mcy.  These  bodit-s  too,  with  thick 
a^aiosphcres,  but  without  tails,  will  likewise  have  their 
propf^r  places  ascertained,  ai.d  will  no  longer  be  confound- 
ed with  bodies  to  which  they  bear  no  resemblance  or 
connection. 

Comets  with  tails  have  seldom  been  visible,  but  on 
their  recess  from  the  sun.  It  is  he  th.'t  kindles  them  up, 
and  gives  them  that  alarming  appearance  in  th/  heavens. 
On  the  contrary,  those  without  tails  have  seldom,  per- 
haps never  bt^en  observed,  but  on  their  approach  to  him. 
I  don*t  recollect  any  whose  return  has  been  tolerably  well 
ascertained.  1  remember,  indeed,  a  few  years  ago,  a 
small  one,  that  was  said  to  have  been  discovered  by  a  te- 
lescope, after  it  had  passed  the  sttn.  but  never  more  be- 
came visible  to  the  naked  eye  This  assertion  is  easily 
made,  and  nobody  can  contradict  it ;  but  it  does  not  at  all 
appear  pr  ib^ibU-,  that  it  should  have  been  so  much  less 
luminous  after  it  than  passed  the  sun,  than  before  it  ap- 
proached him ;  and  1  will  own  to  you,  when  I  have  heard 
that  the  return  of  these  comets  had  escaped  the  eyes 
of  the  most  actite  astronomers,  I  have  been  tempted  to 
think  that  they  did  not  return  at  all,  but  were  absorbed 
in  the  body  of  the  sun,  which  their  violent  motion  to- 
wards hi.m  seemed  to  indicate — Indeed,  I  have  often 
wished  that  this  discovery  might  be  made,  as  it  would 
in  some  measure  account  for  what  has  yet  been  looked 
upon  as  unaccountable :  that  the  sun,  notwithstanding  his 
daily  waste, from  enlightening  the  universe,  never  appears 
diminished  either  in  size  or  light.  Surely  this  waste 
must  be  Immense,  and  were  there  not  in  nature  some 
hidden  provision  for  supplying  it,  in  the  space  of  six 
thousand  years,  supposing  the  world  to  be  no  older,  the 
planets  must  have  got  to  a  much  greater  distance  from  his 
body,  by  the  vast  diminution  of  his  attraction  ;  they  must 
likewise  have  moved  much  slower,  and  consequently  the 
length  of  our  year  must  have  been  greatly  increased.— 
Nothing  of  all  this  seems  to  be  the  case  :  the  diameter  of 
the  sun  is  the  same  that  ever  it  was :  he  neither  appears 
diminished,  nor  our  distance  from  him  increased :  his 
light,  heat,  and  attraction,  seem  to  be  the  same  as  ever ; 


Sicily  and  Malta,  SOS 

and  the  motion  of  the  planets  round  him  is  performed  in 
the  same  time;  of  consequence,  his  quantity  of  matter 
still  continues  the  same.  H^w  then  is  the  vast  waste 
s\ipplied  ?  Miy  there  not  be  millions  of  bodies  attracted 
bv  him.  fronr)  the  honndloss  regions  of  space,  that  are  ne- 
ver perceived  by  us?  Con  e^s,  on  their  road  to  hin^,have 
several  limes  bren  accidentally  discovered  by  telescopes, 
that  were  never  seen  by  the  naked  eye.  Indeed,  the 
number  of  black  spots  on  the  sun  seem  to  indicate  that 
there  is  always  a  quantity  of  matter  there,  only  in  a  pre- 
paration to  ^ive  light,  but  not  yet  refined  and  pure  enough 
to  throw  off  rays  like  the  rest  of  his  bod\ .  For  I  think 
we  can  hardly  conceive,  that  any  matter  can  remain  long 
on  the  body  of  the  sun  without  becoming  luniinous ;  and 
so  we  find  these  spots  often  disappear,  that  is  to  s-y,  the 
matter  of  which  they  are  conposed  is  then  perfectly 
melted,  and  has  acquired  the  same  degree  of  heat  and 
light  as  the  rest  of  his  body.  Even  in  our  glass-hoiises, 
and  other  very  hot  furnaces,  most  sorts  of  matter  very 
soon  acquire  the  same  colour  and  appearance  as  the  mat- 
ter in  fusion,  and  emit  rays  of  light  like  it.  But  how  much 
more  must  this  be  the  case  at  the  surface  of  the  sun! 
when  Newton  computes  that  even  at  many  thousand 
miles  distance  from  it,  a  body  would  acquire  a  degree  of 
heat  two  thousand  times  greater  than  that  of  red-hot  iron. 
It  has  generally  been  understood,  that  he  said  the  great 
comet  really  did  acquire  this  df  gree  of  heat  ;  but  thi>  is 
certainly  a  mistake  :  Sir  Isaac's  expression,  to  the  best 
of  my  remembrance,  is,  that  it  night  have  acquired  it. 
And  if  we  consider  the  very  great  size  of  that  body,  and 
the  short  time  of  its  perihelion,  the  thing  will  appear  im- 
possible ;  nor  indeed  do  I  think  we  can  conceive,  that  a 
body  onlv  as  large  as  our  eatth,  and  the  spots  on  the 
sun  are  often  much  larger,  could  be  reduced  to  fusion 
even  on  this  surface,  but  after  a  very  considerable  space 
of  time. 

Now,  as  it  seems  to  be  universally  supposed,  that  the 
rays  of  light  are  re.  11.  particles  of  matter,  proceeding 
from  the  b<^dy  of  the  sun,  I  think  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary th'U  we  should  fall  upon  some  such  method  of  send- 
ing him  back  a  supply  of  those  rays,  otherwise,  let  his 
stock  be  ever  so  great,  it  must  at  last  be  exhausted. 

I  wish  astronomers  would  observe  whether  the  spots 


'204  A  Tour  through 

on  the  sun  are  not  increased  after  the  appearing  of  thcst? 
comets;  and  whether  these  spots  do  not  disappear  again 
by  degrees,  like  a  body  that  is  gradually  melted  down  in 
a  furnace.  But  there  is  another  consideration  too,  which 
naturally  occurs  :  pray,  what  becomes  of  all  this  vast 
ijnantity  of  matter  after  ii  is  reduced  to  light  ?  Is  it 
ever  collected  agwdn  into  solid  b(;dies  ;  or  is  it  for  ever 
lost  and  dissipated,  afier  it  has  made  its  journey  fron)  the 
sun  to  the  object  it  illuminatf  s  ?  It  is  somewhat  strange, 
that  of  all  ih.\t  immense  qiianiity  cf  matter  poured  down 
on  us  during  the  day,  that  pervades  and  fills  the  whole 
universe;  the  moment  we  are  deprived  of  the  luminous 
body,  the  whole  of  it,  in  an  instimt,  seen.s  to  be  annihi- 
lated : — in  shortf  there  are  a  number  of  difficulties  at- 
tending the  common  received  doctrine  of  light ;  nor  do  I 
think  there  is  any  point  in  natural  philosophy  the  solu- 
tion of  which  is  less  satisfactory.  If  we  suppose  every 
ray  to  be  a  stream  of  particles  of  matter,  darting  from 
the  luminous  body,  how  can  we  conceive  that  these 
streams  may  be  intersected  and  pierced  by  other  streams 
of  the  same  matter  ten  thousand  thousand  diflerent  ways, 
without  causing  the  least  confusion  either  to  the  one  or 
the  other  ?  Vq\\  in  a  clear  night  we  see  distinctly  any 
particular  star  that  vre  look  at,  although  the  rays  coming 
from  that  star  to  our  eye  i':  pierced  for  millions  of  milts 
before  it  reaches  us,  by  n;illions  of  streams  of  the  same 
rays,  from  every  other  sun  and  star  in  the  universe.  Now 
suppose,  in  any  other  matter  that  we  know  of,  and  one 
"Would  imagine  there  ought  at  least  to  bv»  some  sort  of 
analogy  ;  suppose,  I  say,  we  should  only  attempt  to  make 
two  streams  pass  one  another;  water,  for  instance, or  air, 
one  of  the  purest  and  most  fluid  substances  we  are  ac- 
quainted with,  we  find  it  totally  impossiblo.  The  two 
streams  will  mutuallv  interrupt  and  incom.ncde  one  ano- 
ther, and  the  strongest  will  ever  carry  off  »he  weakest 
into  its  own  direction  ;  but  if  a  stream  of  light  is  hit  by 
ten  thousand  other  streams,  moving  at  the  rate  of  ten 
millions  of  miles  in  a  minute,  it  is  not  even  bent  by  the 
impression,  nor  in  the  smallest  degree  diverted  from  its 
course  ;  bat  reaches  us  with  the  same  precisi<in  and  regu- 
larity, as  if  nothing  had  interfered  with  it.  Besides,  on 
the  supposition  that  light  is  rcil  particles  of  matter  mov- 
ing from  the  sun  to  the  earth,  in  the  space  of  seven 


^dly  and  Malta  205 


minutes,  how  comes  it  to  pass,  that  with  all  this  wonder- 
ful velocity,  there  seems  to  be  no  momenium  !  lor  it  con> 
municates  motion  to  no  body  that  obstrucis  us  pis«age, 
and  no  body  whatever  is  removed  by  the  percussion.— 
iSupp'jsing  we  had  never  heard  of  this  discovery,  and 
"Were  at  once  to  be  told  of  a  current  of  niatter  flying  at 
the  rate  of  ten  millions  of  miles  in  a  minute,  and  so  hrge 
as  to  cover  one  half  of  our  globe,  would  we  not  imagine 
that  the  earth  must  instantly  be  torn  in  pieces  by  it,  or 
carried  off  with  the  most  incredible  velocity  ?  It  will  be 
objected,  that  tbe  extreme  minuteness  of  the  paniclts  of 
light  prevents  it  from  having  any  such  effect; — but  as 
these  particles  are  in  such  quantity,  and  so  close  to  each 
other  as  to  cover  the  surface  of  every  body  ihat  is  opposed 
to  them,  and  entirely  fill  up  that  vast  space  betwixt  the 
earth  and  the  sun,  this  objection  1  should  think  in  a  great 
measure  falls  to  the  ground.  Thr-  particles  of  air  ard  of 
water  are  likewise  exti;enieiy  minute,  and  a  sn»all  qi:an- 
lity  of  these  will  produce  little  or  no  cfft-ct,  but  increase 
their  number,  and  only  give  them  the  millionth  part  of 
the  velocity  that  is  ascribed  to  a  ray  of  light,  and  no  force 
whatever  could  be  able  to  withstand  iheu). 

Adieu. — I  have  unwarily  run  my  self  into  the  very  deeps 
of  philosophy  ;  and  find  it  rather  diffirult  to  struggle  out 
again — I  ask  your  pardon,  and  promise,  if  possible,  for 
the  future,  to  steer  quite  clear  of  them.  I  am  sure,  what- 
ever this  comet  may  be  to  the  universe,  it  has  been  au 
ignis  fatuus  to  me  ;  for  it  has  led  me  strangely  out  of  my 
road,  and  bewildered  me  amongst  rocks  and  quicksands, 
where  I  was  like  to  stick  fifty  times. 

I  have  iorgot  whether  or  not  you  are  a  rigid  Newtcnian ; 
if  you  are,  I  believe  I  had  better  recant  in  lim.e,  foi  fear 
of  accidents.  I  know  this  is  a  very  tender  point ;  and 
have  seen  many  of  those  gentlemen,  who  are  good  Chris- 
tians too.  that  can  bear  with  much  n»ore  ten)per  to  hear 
the  divinity  of  our  Saviour  calk  d  in  question,  than  that 
of  Sir  Isaac  ;  and  look  on  a  Cartesian  or  a  Ptolomaean  a$ 
a  worse  species  of  infidel  than  an  atheist 

I  rentember,  when  I  was  at  college  to  have  seen  a 
heretic  to  their  doctrine  of  gi'avity  very  suddenly  con- 
verted by  being  tossed  in  a  hlii.kct  ;  and  another,  who 
denied  the  law  of  centripetal  at  d  centrifugal  forces,  soon 
brought  to  assent,  from  having  the  demonstration  made 
T 


^06  A  Tour  through 

upon  his  shoulders,  by  a  stone  whirled  at  the  end  of  a 
strincj. 

These  are  powerful  arguments,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
withstand  them — 1  cry  you  mercy.  I  am  without  reach 
of  you  at  present,  and  you  are  heartily  welcome  to  wreck 
your  vengeance  on  my  letter. 


LETTER  XXVir. 


Palermo^  July  6. 

MANY  of  the  churches  here  are  extremely  rich 
and  magnificent.  The  cathedral  (or,  as  they  call 
it,  Aladre  Chirsa^  is  a  venerable  Gothic  building,  and  of 
a  large  size;  it  is  supported  within  by  eighty  columns 
of  oriental  granite,  and  divided  into  a  great  number  of 
chapels,  some  of  which  arc  extrem>ely  rich,  particularly 
that  of  St.  Rosolia,  the  patroness  of  Palermo,  who  is  held 
in  greater  veneration  here,  than  all  the  persons  of  the 
Trinity,  and,  which  is  still  more,  than  even  the  Virgin 
Mary  herself.  The  relics  of  the  saint  are  preserved  in 
a'  large  box  of  silver,  curiously  wrought,  and  enriched 
with  precious  stones.  They  perform  many  miracles, 
and  arc  looked  upon  as  the  greatest  treasure  of  the  city. 
They  are  esteemed  the  most  effectual  remedy  against  a 
plague,  and  have  often  preserved  them  from  that  fatal 
distemper.  The  saint  gained  so  much  credit,  in  saving 
them  from  the  last  plague  of  Messina,  although  it  was 
at  two  hiuidred  miles  distance,  that  they  have,  out  of  gra- 
titude, erected  a  noble  monument  to  her.  St.  Agaiha  did 
as  much  for  Catania,  but  that  city  has  not  been  so  gene- 
rous to  her. — The  other  riches  of  this  church  consist 
principally  in  seme  bones  of  St.  Peter,  and  a  whole  arm 
of  St  John  tiie  Baptist. — There  is  likewise  a  jaw-bone 
of  prodigious  efficacy  ;  and  some  other  bones  of  lesser 
note.  It  contains  some  things  of  smi.lh^r  consequence, 
which,  however>  are  not  altogether  without  their  merit. 
The  monuments  of  their  Norman  kings,  several  of  whom 
lie  buried  here,  arc  of  the  fin-st  porphyry,  some  of  them 


A  Tour  through  ^Of 

near  s€ven  hundred  years  old,  and  yet  of  very  tolerable 
workmanship.  Opposite  to  these,  there  is  a  tabernacle 
of  lapis  lazuli.  It  is  about  fifteen  feet  high,  and  finely 
ornamented.  Some  of  the  presents  made  to  St.  Rosolia 
are  by  no  means  contemptible.  A  cross  of  very  large 
brilliants,  from  the  king  of  Spain,  is,  1  think,  the  most 
considerable. 

The  Sachristie  too  is  very  rich  :  there  are  some  robes 
embroidered  with  oriental  pearl,  that  are  near  four  hun- 
dred years  old,  and  yet  look  as  fresh  as  if  done  yesterday. 
k  The  Jesuits'  church  is  equal  in  magnificence  to  any 
thing  I  have  seen  in  Italy.  The  genius  of  those  fathers 
appears  strong  in  all  their  works;  one  is  never  at  a  loss 
to  find  them  out  They  have  been  grossly  calumniated; 
for  they  certainly  had  less  hypocrisy  than  any  other  order 
of  monks. 

The  Chiesa  del  Pallezzo  is  entirely  incrusted  over 
with  ancient  mosaic  ;  and  the  vaulted  roof  too  is  all  of 
the  same. — But  it  is  endless  to  t;dk  of  churches.  Here 
are  upwards  of  three  hundred.  That  of  Monreale,  about 
five  miles  distant  from  this  city,  is  the  next  in  dignity  in 
the  island,  afier  the  cathedral  of  PaleniiO.  It  is  nearly 
of  the  sauve  size,  and  the  whoh-  is  incrusted  with  mosaic, 
at  an  incrediDle  exp-nce.  Here  are  likewise  several 
porphyry  and  marble  monuments  of  the  first  kings  rf  Si- 
cily. This  cathedral  was  built  by  king  William  the  Guod. 
whose  memory  is  still  held  in  great  veneration  among^;t 
the  Sicilians 

The  archbishop  of  Monreale  is  already  looked  upon  as 
a  saint,  and  indeed  ht-  deserves  beatification  better,  I  be- 
lieve, than  most  of  those  in  the  calendar.  His  income  is 
very  great,  of  which  he  reserves  to  himself  just  as  much 
as  procures  himselfclothcs,  and  the  simpltsi  kird  of  food; 
all  the  rest  he  devotes  to  charitable,  pious,  and  public 
uses  He  even  seems  to  curry  this  too  far,  and  <leiues 
himself  the  most  conimon  gratincaiions  (  f  lift- :  Such  as 
sleeping  on  a  bed  ;  a  piece  of  luxury  he  is  said  never  to 
indulge  himself  in,  but  lies  every  night  on  straw.  He  is, 
as  you  may  believe,  adored  by  the  people,  who  crowd  in 
his  way  as  he  passe?,  to  receive  his  benediction;  ^\hich 
they  allege  is  even  of  more  sovereign  efficacy  than  that 
of  the  pop"*.  And  indeed  so  it  is,  for  he  never  sees  an 
object  in  di«^!?ess,  but  he  is  sure  to  relieve  him  :  not  trust- 


i208  A  Tour  tkroit;rk 


to' 


ing  alone  to  the  spiritual  efficacy  of  the  blesslRg,  but 
always  accompanying^  it  with  something  solid  and  tempo- 
ral ;  and,  perhaps,  this  accompanyment  is  not  esteemed 
the  worst  part  of  it.  The  town  and  country  round  Mon- 
reale  are  greatly  indebted  to  his  liberality  ;  and  in  every 
corner  exhibits  marks  of  his  munificence.  He  has  just 
now  made  n  present  to  the  cathedral  of  a  magnificent 
allar  ;  only  about  one  half  of  which  is  finished.  It  is  of 
massive  silver,  exquisitely  wrought,  representing  in  high 
relief,  some  of  the  principal  stories  in  the  Bible,  and.  I 
think,  will  be  one  of  the  finest  in  the  world — But  what  is 
of  much  greater  utility,  he  has  at  his  own  expence  made 
a  noble  walk  the  whole  way  from  the  city  to  Monreale, 
■which  was  formerly  of  very  difficult  access,  as  it  stands 
near  the  top  of  a  pretty  high  mountain.  The  walk  is  cut 
v/ith  a  great  deal  of  judgment  on  the  side  of  this  moun- 
tain, and  winds  by  easy  zigzags  to  the  top  of  it.  It  is 
adorned  with  several  elegant  fountains  of  water,  and  is 
bordered  on  each  side  with  a  variety  of  fljawering  shrubs. 
The  valley  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  is  rich  and  beauti- 
ful. It  appears  one  continued  orange- garden  for  many 
miles,  and  exhibits  an  elegant  piece  of  scenery  ;  perfum- 
ing the  air  at  the  same  time  with  the  most  delicious  c- 
dours — We  were  so  pleased  with  this  little  expedition, 
that  notwithstanding  the  heat  of  the  season,  we  could  net 
keep  in  our  carriage,  but  walked  almost  the  whole  of  it. 

The  city  of  Palermo  for  these  ten  days  past  has  beea 
whoil/  occupied  in  preparing  for  the  great  feast  of  St. 
Ilosolia.  And  if  the  show  is  in  any  degree  adequate  to 
tive  expence  and  trouble  it  costs  them,  it  must  indeed  be 
a  very  noble  one.  They  are  erecting  an  incredible  num- 
ber of  arches  and  pyramids  for  the  illuminations.  They 
nr3  of  wood,  painted  and  adorned  with  artificial  flowers. 
These,  thpy  tell  us,  are  to  be  entirely  covered  over  with 
S'TK^ll  I'lmps;  so  that  when  seen  at  a  little  distar.ce,  they 
app^nr  like  so  many  pyramids  and  arches  of  flame.  The 
v,^holc  Marino,  and  the  two  great  streets  th:;t. divide  the 
city,  are  to  be  illumiiated  in  this  magnificent  manner. 
The  number  of  pyramids  and  arches  prepared  for  these 
illuminations,  wc  are  told,  exceed  two  thousand.  They 
are  erected  on  each  side  of  the  street,  bct^^  ixt  the  foot  path 
and  the  pavemer.t,  und  run  in  two  right  lines  exactly  pa- 
rallel fi'om  end  to  end.     Kach  of  thesa  lines  is  a  mile  in 


Sidly  and  Malta,  209 

length,  which  makes  four  miles  for  the  whole.  The  four 
gates  are  the  vistas  to  these  four  streets,  and  are  to  be 
highly  decorated  and  illuminated.  From  the  square  in 
the  centre  of  the  city,  the  whole  of  this  VDSt  illundni-.tion 
can  be  seen  at  once;  and  they  assure  us  the  grandeur  of 
it  exceeds  all  belief  Tiie  whole  of  the  Marino  is  tf^  be 
dressed  out  in  the  same  manner:  and  for  these  tliree 
weeks  past  they  have  been  employed  in  erecting  two 
great  theatres  for  fire-works.  One  of  these  fronts  the 
viceroy's  palace,  and  is  almost  equal  to  it  in  size.  The 
other  is  laid  on  piles  driven  in  the  sea,  exacily  opposite 
to  the  great  orchestra  in  the  centre  of  the  Maiino.  Be- 
sides these,  thty  are  building  an  enormous  engine,  which 
they  call  St.  Rosolia's  triun>phal  car.  From  the  size  of 
it,  one  would  imagine  it  were  for  ever  to  remain  in  the 
spot  where  it  is  erected  ;  but  they  assure  us,  it  is  to  be 
drawn  in  triumph  through  the  city.  It  is  indeed  mounted 
upon  wheels,  but  it  does  not  appear  that  any  force  what- 
ever can  be  able  to  turn  them. 

I  own  my  curiosity  increases  every  day  to  see  the 
singular  exhibition.  The  car  is  already  higher  than  n.ost 
houses  in  Palermo,  and  they  are  still  adding  to  its  height. 
But  the  part  of  the  show  they  value  themselves  the  most 
on.  is  the  illumination  of  the  great  church  ;  this  they 
affirm  is  superior  to  any  thing  in  the  world  ;  the  illu:r,ina- 
tion  of  St.  Peter's  itself  not  excepted  The  preparations 
for  it  are  indeed  arnuzing  These  were  begun  about  a 
month  ago,  and  will  not  be  finished  till  towards  the  last 
days  of  the  leist.  The  whole  of  the  cathedral,  both  roof 
and  walls,  is  tmiirelv  covered  over  with  mirror,  intern  ix- 
ed  with  gold  and  silver  paper,  and  an  infinite  variety  of 
artificial  fioweis.  All  these  are  arranged  and  di^pjbed, 
in  my  opinion,  with  great  taste  and  eleguncc  :  none  of 
them  predoTiinatef,  but  they  are  inlenningled  every 
where  in  a  just  proportion. 

Every  altur,  cuapel,  and  column  are  fi'iished  in  the 
samf  manner,  which  takes  c  fp  from  tht-  littleness  of  the 
particulir  ofiiaa  ems,  md  e;ives  an  air  of  gr.-ndeur  and 
unifor  aity  to  ihc  wLole.  Tne  roof  is  hun^  with  innu- 
me'ible  lust  cs  fill::  with  wax  cjndles,  and,  1  am  ptr- 
sund  .'I,  >vhen  lh«  whol;;  is  iighfd  up,  it  niust  be  equal 
to  duv  pl<^e  either  m  liio  1"  iry  T,des  or  the  Arabian 
NigatrS  Lattiiainmeiiis.  iiideed  it  seems  pretty  much  in 
T  2 


210  A  Tour  through 

the  sa:T\c  style  too,  for  all  is  gold,  silver,  and  precioua 
stones.  The  saints  are  dressed  out  in  all  their  glory,  and 
the  fuiry  queen  herself  was  never  finer  than  is  St  Rosolia. 
The  p(  opi '  are  lying  yonder  in  crowds  before  her,  pray- 
ini;  with  ail  their  might.  I  dare  say,  for  one  peiiiion  of- 
fered to  God  Almighty,  she  has  at  least  an  hundred. 

We  were  just  now  remarking,  with  how  Utile  respect 
they  pass  the  chapels  dedicated  to  God  ;  they  hardly  deign 
to  give  a  iiillc  inclination  of  the  head  i  but  when  they 
come  near  t})ose  of  their  favourite  sain'.s,  they  bow  down 
to  t)ie  very  ground  :  Ignorance  and  sup-c-rstiticn  have  ever 
been  inseparable : — 1  beliave  in  their  hearts  they  think 
he  has  alre.idy  reigned  long  enough  ;  and  would  be  glad 
to  have  a  change  in  the  governnicnt : — i.nd  every  one  of 
them  (like  the  poor  Welchman  who  thought  he  sh(/uld 
be  succeeded  by  Sir  Watkin  Williams)  is  fully  per- 
suaded, that  his  own  favourite  saint  is  the  true  heir  ap- 
parent. Indeed  they  already  give  them  the  pre^jjcdency 
on  most  occasions ;  not  in  processions  and  affdirs  of  eti- 
quette :  there  they  think  it  would  not  be  decent;  but  in 
I  heir  more  private  aftairs,  they  generally  pay  the  com- 
pliment to  the    saint: Yet    in   their  inscriptions  on 

churclies  and  chapels  (which  one  would  think  are  pub- 
lic enough)  when  they  are  dedicated  to  God  and  any  par- 
ticular saint,  they  have  often  ventured  to  put  the  name  of 
the  saint  first  — Sancto  Jai^uario,  et  Deo  vJpi  Max.  ta- 
Iting  every  opportunity  of  raising  their  dignity,  though 
at  the  expeiicc  of  that  of  God  himself. 


LETTER  xxvnr. 

Palermo^  July  7. 

I  HAVE  been  inquiring  who  this  same  St.  Rosolia  may 
be,  who  has  become  so  very  capital  a  personage  in 
this  part  of  the  world  ;  but  notwhhstanding  their  adoring 
her  with  such  fervency,  I  have  found  none  that  can  give 
any  tolerable  account  of  her  saintship.  They  refer  you 
to  the  most  fabulous  legendsj  that  even  differ  widely  in 


Sicily  and  Malta.  i21i 

their  accounts  of  her.  And.  after  all  the  offerinc^s  they 
have  made,  the  churches  ihey  have  built,  and  nionumcnts 
they  have  raised  to  her  memory,  I  think  it  is  far  from 
bemg  improbable,  that  there  really  never  did  exist  such 
a  person.  I  went  through  all  the  booksellers*  shops,  but 
could  find  nothiri<jj  relative  to  her,  except  an  epic  poem, 
of  which  she  is  the  heroine.  It  is  in  the  Sicilian  lan- 
guage ;  and  is  indeed  one  of  the  grt- arest  curiobitits  I  have 
mer  with.  The  poet  sets  her  at  once  above  all  other 
saints  except  the  Viigin,  and  it  seems  to  be  with  the 
greatest  reluctance,  that  he  can  prevail  upon  bin. self  to 
yield  the  pass  even  to  her.  I  find,  fron-  this  curious  ccm- 
posiiion,  and  the  notes  upon  it,  that  Si.  Rosolia  was  niece 
to  King  William  the  Good  That  she  b<  gan  very  early 
to  display  syniptoms  of  her  sanctity-  That  at  fifteen  she 
deserted  the  wot  Id,  and  disclaim':  d  uU  huntan  society.  She 
retired  to  the  mountairis  on  the  west  of  this  city  ;  and  wa» 
never  more  heard  of  for  ahcuit  five  hundred  years,  bhe 
diappeared  in  the  year  1159.  Ihe  people  thought  she 
had  been  taken  up  to  heaven  ;  till,  in  the  year  16/4,  enur- 
ing tiie  time  of  a  dreadful  plague,  a  holy  man  had  a  vision, 
that  the  saint's  bones  wert-  lying  in  a  cave  near  the  t(;p  of 
ih'j  Monte  Pelegrino.  Tb-U  if  they  ^^ere  t.  krn  up  with 
due  reverence,  i»nd  carried  in  procession  thrice  roiind  the 
Wdlis  of  the  city,  they  should  inimediiitely  be  delivered 
from  the  plague.  At  fiist  little  attention  was  piiid  to  the 
holy  man,  and  he  was  lookecl  upon  as  litile  better  thiin  a 
drea'.i:er;  however,  he  persisted  in  his  story,  grew  noisy, 
and  got  adherents.  The  miigistrales,  to  pacify  therii,  sent 
to  the  Monte  Pelegrin-o;  when,  lol  the  mighty  discovery 
was  made! — the  sacred  bone*  were  found — the  riiy  was 
freed  fiom  the  plague, — and  St.  Rosclia  becan.e  the 
greatest  saint  in  the  calen'iar  Churches  were  reared? 
altars  were  dedicated,  and  uiinisters  rippointed  to  this  new 
divinity,  whose  dignity  and  consequence  have  ever  since 
been  supported  at  an  incredible  expcnce.  Now  I  t'ink 
it  is  move  than  probable  thst  these  bonr  s,  thiit  are  now  so 
much  reverenced,  and  about  which  this  great  city  is  at  pre- 
sent in  such  a  bustle,  belong  to  sonje  p'^or  wretch,  th^-.t  p,.  r« 
haps  was  murdered,  or  died  for  want  in  the  mountains. 
Thi  holy  man  probi'bly  could  have  given  a  very  good 
account  cf  them. 

It  is  really,  astonishing  to  think,  what  animals  super* 


^l^  A  Tour  through 

stition  makes  of  mankind.  I  dare  say,  the  bones  of  St. 
Rosolia  are  just  as  little  entitled  to  the  honours  they  le- 
oeive,  as  those  of  poor  St.  Viar,  which  were  found  some- 
where in  Spain  under  a  broken  tomb-stone,  where  these 
were  the  only  legible  letters.  The  story,  I  think,  is  told 
by  Dr.  Middleton.  The  priests  found  that  the  bones  had 
an  excellent  knack  at  working  miracles,  and  were  of  opi- 
nion, that  this,  together  with  the  S.  Viar  on  the  stone,  was 
proof  sufficient  of  his  sanctity.  He  continued  long  in 
high  estimation,  and  they  drew  no  inconsiderable  revenue 
from  his  abiiiies;  till  unfortunately  they  petitioned  the 
pope  to  grant  him  some  immunities.  The  pope  (Leo 
the  Tenth,  I  think.)  not  entirely  satisfied  with  regard  to 
his  saintship,  desired  to  be  informed  of  his  pretensions. 
A  list  of  his  miracles  was  sent  over,  accompanied  by  the 
stone  with  S  Viar  upon  it.  The  first  part  of  the  proof 
was  sustained  ;  but  the  antiquaries  found  the  fragment  to 
be  part  of  the  tomb-sione  of  a  (Roman) /zr^f/Vcms  viarium, 
or  overseer  of  the  high  road ;  to  whose  bones  they  had 
been  so  much  indebted ;  and  poor  St.  Viar,  though  pro- 
bably an  honester  man  than  both  of  them,  was  ordered  to 
be  struck  out  of  the  calendar. 

f  The  people  of  fashion  here  hold  the  superstition  of  the 
vulgar  in  great  contempt ;  and  perhaps  that  very  super- 
stition is  one  principal  cause  of  their  infidelity.  Indeed 
I  have  ever  found  that  deism  is  most  prevalent  in  those 
countries  where  the  people  are  the  wildest  and  most 
bigoited.  A  refined  and  cultivated  understanding,  shock- 
ed at  their  folly,  thinks  it  cannot  possibly  recede  too  far 
from  it,  and  is  often  tempted  to  fly  to  the  very  opposite 
extreme.  When  reason  is  much  offended  by  any  parti- 
cular dogma  of  faith  or  act  of  worship,  she  is  but  too  apt, 
in  the  midst  of  her  disgust,  to  reject  the  whole.  The 
great  misfortune  is.  tliat  in  these  countries,  the  most 
violent  champions  for  religion  are  commonly  the  most 
weak  and  ignorant: — And  certainly,  one  weak  advocate 
in  any  cause,  but  more  particularly  in  a  mysterious  one, 
that  requires  to  be  handled  wilh  delicucy  and  address,  is 
capaijle  of  hurun,u,  it  more,  than  fifty  of  its  warmest  0;>po- 
ncnts.  Silly  books,  thut  have  been  writtt-n  by  weyk  wtli- 
meaning  aicn,  in  defence  of  religion,  i  am  confident  have 
m  d'"  iUMie  infi'icU  'hun  all  ilie  works  of  Bolingbsuke, 
Shaftesbury,  or  even  V'okdire  himself:  they  only  want  to 


Sicily  and  Malta,  218 

lilake  people  believe  that  there  are  some  ludicrous  thingj 
to  be  said  against  it ;  but  these  grave  plodding  blockheuds 
do  all  they  can  to  persuade  us,  that  there  is  little  or  no- 
thing to  be  said  for  it.  The  universal  error  of  thess 
gentry  is,  that  they  ever  attempt  to  explain,  and  reconcile 
to  sense  and  reason  those  very  mysteries  that  the  first 
principles  of  our  religion  teach  us  are  incomprehensible  ; 
and  f)f  consequence  neither  objects  of  sense  nor  reason  — 
I  once  heard  an  ignorant  priest  declare^  that  he  did  liOt 
find  the  least  difficulty  in  conceiving  the  mystery  of  the 
Trinity,  or  that  of  the  Incarnation;  and  that  he  would 
undertake  to  make  thetn  plain  to  the  meanest  capacities. 
A  gentleman  present  told  him,  he  had  no  doubt  he  could, 
to  all  such  capacities  as  his  own.  The  priest  took  it  as  a 
compliment^  and  made  him  a  bow.  Now,  d'-n't  you 
think,  that  a  few  such  teachers  as  this  must  hurt  religion 
more  by  their  zeal,  than  AX  its  opponents  can  by  their 
wit  ?  Had  these  heroes  still  kept  behind  the  bulwarks 
of  faith  and  of  mystery,  their  adversaries  nevei  could  have 
touched  them  ;  but  they  have  been  foolish  enough  to 
abandon  these  strong  holds,  and  dared  them  forth  to  com- 
bat on  the  plain  fields  of  reason  and  of  sense  A  sad 
piece  of  generalship  indeed:  such  defenders  must  ever 
ruin  the  best  cause 

But  although  the  people  of  education  here  despise  the 
wild  superstition  of  the  vu!gar,  yet  they  go  regularly  to 
mass,  and  attend  the  ordinances  with  great  respect  and 
decency  ;  and  they  are  much  pleased  with  us  for  our  con- 
formity to  their  customs,  and  for  not  appearing  openly  to 
despise  their  rites  and  ceremonies.  I  own,  this  attention 
of  theirs,  not  to  offend  weak  minds,  tends  much  to  give 
us  a  favourable  opmion  b<'th  of  their  hearts  and  under- 
standings. They  don't  make  cny  boast  of  their  infidelity  ; 
neither  do  they  pester  vou  with  it  as  in  France,  nhere  it 
is  perpetually  bnzz'd  in  your  ears,  and  where,  although 
they  pretend  to  believe  les.-,  they  do  in  fact  believe  more 
than  any  nation  on  the  continent 

I  know  of  nothing  that  gives  one  a  worse  opinion  of  a 
man,  thnn  to  see  him  make  a  shew  and  parade  of  his  con- 
tempt for  things  held  sacred:  it  is  an  open  iiisult  to  the 
judgment  of  the  public  A  countryman  of  ours,  about  two 
years  ago,  offended  egregiously  in  this  article,  and  the 
people  still  speak  of  him  both  with  contempt  and  detestfi- 


a  14  A  Tour  ihrouoii 


to' 


lion.  It  happened  oae  day  in  the  great  church,  during 
the  elevation  of  the  host,  when  every  body  else  were  on 
their  knees,  that  he  still  kept  standing",  without  any  ap- 
pearance of  respect  to  the  ceremony.  A  young  nobleman 
that  was  near  him  expressed  his  surprise  at  this.  "  It  is 
strange,  Sir,  (said  he),  th-tt  you,  who  have  had  the  educa- 
tion of  a  gentleman,  and  ought  to  have  the  sentiments  of 
one,  should  choose  thus  to  give  so  very  public  offence.** 

"  Why,  Sir,  (said  the  Englishman)  I  don't  believe  in 
transubstantiation.** — *^  Neither  do  I,  Sir,  (replied  the 
other)  and  yet  you  see  I  kneel.'* 

Adieu.  I  am  called  away  to  see  the  preparations  for 
the  feast.  In  my  next  I  shall  probably  give  you  some 
account  of  it. 

p.  S.  1  have  been  watching  with  great  care  the  return 
of  our  comet,  but  as  yet  1  have  discovered  nothing  of  it: 
I  observe  too,  with  a  very  indifferent  glass,  several  large 
round  spots  on  the  sun*s  disk,  and  am  far  from  bemg  cer- 
tain that  it  is  not  one  of  them  ;  but  I  shall  not  alarm  you 
any  more  with  this  subject. 


LETTER  XXIX. 

Palermo i  July  10. 

OM  Sunday,  the  8th,  we  had  the  long  expected  Si- 
rocc  wind,  which,  although  our  expectations  had 
been  raised  pretty  high,  yet  1  own  it  greatly  exceeded 
them.  Ever  since  wc  carne  to  our  ne\v  lodging,  the 
thermometer  has  stood  betwixt  72  and  74;  at  our  old 
one,  it  was  often  at  79  and  80;  so  great  is  the  difference 
betwixt  tlie  heat  of  the  city  and  the  sea-shore.  At  pre- 
sent, our  windows  not  only  front  to  the  noith,  but  the  sea 
is  immediately  under  them,  from  whence  we  are  con- 
stantly refreshed  by  a  delightful  cooling  breeze.  Friday 
and  Saturday  were  un'-onimonly  cool,  the  mercury  never 
being  higher  than  724 ;  and  although  the  Sirocc  is  said 
to  have  set  in  early  on  Sunday  n)cr»ung,  the  air  in  our 
Dpartmentr,  which  are  very  large,  with  high  ceilings,  was 


Sicily  and  Malta.  f  15 

not  in  the  least  affected  by  it  at  eight  o'clock,  when  I 
rose  —I  opened  the  door  without  having  any  suspicion  of 
such  a  change;  and  indeed  I  never  was  more  astonished 
in  my  life.  The  first  blast  of  it  on  my  face  felt  like  the 
burning  steam  from  the  mouth  of  an  oven.  1  drew  back 
my  head,  and  shut  the  door,  calling  out  to  Fuilarion,  that 
the  whole  atmosphere  was  in  a  flame.  However,  we 
ventured  to  open  another  door  that  leads  to  a  cool  plat- 
form, where  we  usually  walk;  this  was  not  exposed  to  the 
wind  ;  and  here  I  found  tlie  heat  n.uch  ii.ore  supportable 
than  I  could  have  expected  from  th*-  first  spccin;cn  1  had 
of  it  at  the  other  door.  It  felt  somewhat  like  the  subter- 
raneous sweating  stoves  iit  Naples;  but  still  much  hotter. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  found  every  fibre  greatly  relaxed, 
and  the  pores  opened  to  such  a  degree,  that  we  expected 
soon  to  be  thrown  into  a  profuse  sweat.  I  went  to  exa- 
mine the  thermometer,  and  found  the  air  in  the  room  as 
yet  so  little  affected,  that  it  stood  only  at  73.  The  pre- 
ceding night  it  was  at  72^.  I  took  it  out  to  the  open 
air,  when  it  immediately  rose  to  1 10,  and  soon  after  to 
112:  and  I  am  confident,  that  in  our  old  lodgings,  or  any 
where  within  the  city,  it  must  have  risen  several  degrees 
higher  The  air  was  thick  and  heavy,  but  the  barometer 
was  little  affected ;  it  had  fallen  only  about  a  line.  The 
sun  did  not  once  appear  the  whole  day.  otherwise  I  am 
persuaded  the  heat  must  have  been  insupportable  ;  on  that 
side  of  our  platform  which  is  exposed  to  the  wind,  it  was 
with  difficulty  we  could  bear  it  for  a  few  minutes.  Here 
I  exposed  a  little  ponuuum  which  was  melted  down,  as 
if  I  had  laid  it  before  the  fire  I  attenpted  to  take  a 
walk  in  the  street,  to  see  if  any  creature  wys  stirring,  but 
I  fou  d  it  too  much  for  me,  and  was  glad  to  get  up  stairs 
again. 

This  extraordinary  heat  continued  till  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  when  the  wind  changed  at  once,  almost  to 
the  opposite  point  of  the  compas"-,  and  all  the  rest  of  the 
day  it  blew  strong  from  the  sea.  It  is  impossible  to  con- 
ceive the  different  feeling  of  the  air.  Indeed,  the  sudden 
change  from  heat  to  cold  is  almost  as  inconceivable  as 
that  from  cold  to  heat  The  current  of  this  hot  air  had 
been  flying  for  many  hours  from  South  to  North ;  and  I 
had  no  doubt  that  the  atmr^sphere  for  many  miles  round 
was  entirely  composed  of  it;  however,  the  wind  no  sooner 
changed  to  the  North,  than  it  felt  extremely  cold,  and  wc 


*il6  A  Tour  through 

were  soon  obliged  to  put  on  our  clothes,  for  till  then  we 
had  been  almost  naked.  In  a  short  time  the  thermometer 
sunk  to  82,  a  degree  of  heat  that  in  England  would  be 
thought  almost  insupportable,  and  yet  all  that  night  we 
were  obliged,  merely  from  the  cold,  to  keep  up  the  glass- 
es of  our  coach  ;  so  much  were  the  pores  opened  and  the 
fibres  relaxed  bv  these  few  hours  of  the  Sirocc.  Indeed, 
I  had  exposed  myself  a  good  deal  to  the  open  air,  as  1  was 
determined  to  feel  what  effect  it  would  produce  on  the 
human  body.  At  first  I  thought  it  must  have  been  im- 
possible to  bear  it;  but  I  soon  discovered  my  mistake, 
and  found,  that  where  I  was  sheltered  from  the  wind  I 
could  walk  about  without  any  great  inconveniency  ;  nei- 
ther did  it  produce  that  copif>us  sweat  I  expected  ;  it  occa- 
sioned indeed  a  violent  perspiration,  which  W9S  only  attend- 
ed with  slight  moisture  on  the  skin ;  but  1  suppose,  if  I  had 
pui  on  my  domes,  or  taken  the  least  excercise,  it  soon 
would  have  brought  it  on. 

I  own  to  you  my  curiosity  with  regard  to  the  Sirocc  is 
now  thoroughly  satisfied  ;  nor  do  I  at  all  wish  for  another 
visit  of  it  during  our  stay  in  Sicily.  Many  of  our  ac- 
quaintance who  had  been  promising  us  this  regalo^  as  they 
call  it,  came  crowding  about  us  as  soon  as  it  was  over,  to 
know  what  we  thought  of  it.  They  own' it  has  been 
pretty  violent  for  the  time  it  lasted ;  but  assure  us  they 
have,  felt  it  more  so,  and  likewise  of  a  much  longer  dura- 
tion ;  however,  it  seldom  lasts  more  than  thirty-six  or 
fortv  hours,  so  that  the  walls  of  the  houses  have  not  time 
to  be  heated  through  -ut,  otherwise  they  think  there  could 
be  no  such  thiug  as  living ;  however,  from  what  I  have 
felt  of  it,  I  believe  they  are  mistaken  Indeed,  had  I 
been  satisfied  with  the  first  blast,  (which  is  generally  the 
case  with  them),  and  never  more  ventured  out  in  it,  I 
certainly  should  have  been  of  their  opinion.  They  laugh- 
ed at  us  for  exposing  ourselves  so  long  to  it ;  and  were 
surprised  that  our  curiosity  should  lead  us  to  make  expe- 
riments at  the  expence  of  our  persons.  They  assure  us, 
that  during  the  time  it  lasts,  there  is  not  a  mortal  to  be 
seen  without  doois,  but  those  whom  necessity  obliges  — 
All  their  doors  and  windows  are  shut  close,  to  prevent  the 
exteinal  air  from  entering;  and  where  there  are  no  win- 
dow shutters  they  hang  up  wet  blankets  on  t^e  in-ide  of 
the  window.  The  servants  are  constantly  employed  in 
sprinkling  water  through  their  apartments;  to  preserve 


Sicihj  and  Malta.  217 

the  air  in  as  temperate  a  state  as  possible  ;  and  this  is  no 
difficult  matter  here,  as  I  am  told  there  is  not  a  house  in 
the  city  that  has  not  a  foumain  within  it.  13y  these  means 
the  people  of  fashion  suh'er  very  little  from  the  Sirocc, 
except  the  first  confinement  to  which  it  obliges  them. 

It  is  somewhat  singular,  that  notwithstanding  the 
scorching  heat  of  the  wind,  it  has  never  been  known  to 
produce  any  epidemical  distempers,  nor  indeed  bud  con- 
sequences of  any  kind  to  the  health  of  the  people.  It  is 
true,  they  feel  extremely  weak  and  relaxed  during  the 
time  it  blows,  but  a  few  hours  of  the  Tramontane,  or 
North  wind,  which  generally  succeeds  ir,  soon  braces 
them  up,  and  sets  ihem  to  rights  again.  Now,  in  Na- 
ples, and  in  many  other  places  in  Italy,  when  its  violence 
is  not  to  be  compared  to  this,  it  is  often  attended  with 
putrid  disorders,  and  seldom  fails  to  produce  almost  a 
general  dejection  of  spirits.  It  is  true,  indeed,  that  there 
the  Sirocc  lasts  for  many  days,  nay,  even  for  weeks;  so 
that,  as  its  effects  are  different,  it  probably  proceeds  like- 
wise from  a  different  cause. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  procure  any  good  account  of 
this  very  singular  object  in  the  climate  of  Palermo.  The 
causes  they  assign  for  it  are  various,  though  none  of  them, 
1  think,  altogether  satisfactory. 

I  have  seen  an  old  fellow  here,  who  has  written  upon 
it.  He  says,  it  is  the  same  wind  that  is  so  dreadful  in 
the  sandy  desarts  of  Africa,  where  it  sometimes  proves 
mortal  in  the  space  of  half  an  hour.  He  alleges,  that  it 
is  cooled  by  its  passage  over  the  sea,  which  entirely  dis- 
arms it  of  these  tremendous  effects,  before  it  reaches 
Sicily.  But  if  this  were  true,  we  should  expect  to  find 
it  most  violent  on  that  side  of  the  island  that  lies  nearest 
to  Africa,  which  is  not  the  case : — though  indeed  it  is 
possible,  that  its  heat  may  be  again  increased  by  its  pas- 
sage across  the  island;  for  it  has  ever  been  found  mucli 
more  violent  at  Palermo,  which  is  near  the  most  northern 
point,  than  any  where  else  in  Sicily. — Indeed,  I  begin  to 
be  more  reconciled  to  this  reason,  when  I  consid.r  that 
this  ciiy  is  almost  surrounded  by  high  mountai:  ;,  the 
ravines  and  valleys  betwixt  which  are  parched  up  and 
burning  hot  at  this  season.  These  likewise  contain  innu- 
merable springs  of  warm  water,  the  streams  of  which 
must  tend  greatly  to  increase  the  heat,  and  perhaps  like- 


218 


J  Tour  throii^k 


wise  lo  soften  the  air,  and  disarm  it  of  its  noxious  quali- 
ties. It  is  a  practice  too,  at  this  season,  to  burn  lieath 
and  brush-wood  on  the  mountains,  which  must  stiii  add 
to  the  heat  of  the  air. 

Some  gentlemen  who  were  in  the  country  told  me, 
that  they  walked  out  immediately  after  the  biiocc,  and 
found  the  grass  and  plants  that  had  been  green  the  day 
before,  were  become  quite  brown,  and  crackled  under 
their  feet  as  if  dried  in  an  oven. 

I  shall  add  for  your  amusement,  a  journal  of  the  wea- 
ther since  we  came  to  Palermo.  The  barometer  has  con- 
tinued constantly  within  a  line  or  two  of  the  same  point, 
29|  , — and  the  sky  has  been  always  clear,  except  the  day 
of  the  Sirocc  and  the  26th  of  June,  when  we  had  a  pretty 
smart  shower  of  rain  for  two  hours ;  so  that  I  think  I 
have  nothing  farther  to  do,  but  to  mark  the  heights  of  the 
thermometer. 

Thcrmom. 
73i 


June 


July 


17 
18 

19 
20 
31 

22 

2^ 

24 

2:5 

36 

27 

2^ 

29 

50 

1 

2 

3 

5 
6 
7 
8 


At  new  lodgings  on  the  sea-side 
fronting  the  North, 


The  Sirocc  wind, 
In  the  afternoon 


74 

75 

76 

75i 

77 

76| 

77 

77 

771 

77 

77i 

77i 

7%h 

79 

80 


74 
73 
72  L 
72l 
1  12* 
82 
79 
78 


Sicilij  and  Mafia.  219 

The  more  I  consider  the  extreme  vioknce  of  this  heat, 
the  more  I  am  surprised  that  we  were  able  to  bear  it 
with  so  Utile  inconvenience.  Wc  did  not  even  feel  that 
depression  of  spirits  that  commonly  attends  very  great 
heats  with  us — The  thermometer  rose  40  degrees,  or 
very  near  it;  and  it  happens  singularly  enough,  that  be- 
fore the  Sirocc  began,  it  stood  just  about  40  degrees  above 
the  point  of  congelation  ;  so  that  in  the  moining  of  the 
8th  of  July,  the  heat  increased  as  much,  almost  instan- 
taneously, as  it  generally  does  during  the;  whole  linie 
that  the  sua  moves  from  tropic  to  tropic  ;  for  the  difTei- 
ence  of  72  and  1 12  is  the  same  as  between  the  freezing 
point  and  72;  or  between  a  cold  day  in  winter,  and  a 
warm  one  in  summer.  Yesterday  we  had  a  great  enter- 
tainment in  the  palace  of  the  Prince  Partana,  ftom  the 
balcony  of  which  the  viceroy  reviewed  a  regiment  of 
Swiss,  the  best  I  have  yet  seen  in  the  Neapolitan  service. 
They  are  really  a  fine  body  of  men,  and,  noUvitliStanding 
the  violence  of  the  heat,  went  through  thtir  n.-oticns  with 
great  spirit.  They  had  two  field  pieces  on  each  flank, 
which  were  extremely  well  served;  and  the  evolutions 
were  performed  with  more  precision  and  steadiness  than 
one  generally  meets  with,  except  in  England  and  Ger-. 
many.  The  grenadiers  were  furnished  with  false  gre- 
nades, which  produced  every  effect  of  real  ones,  except 
that  of  doing  mischief.  The  throwing  of  these  was  tho 
part  of  the  entertainment  that  seemed  to  please  the  most  ; 
and  the  grenadiers  took  care  to  direct  them  so,  ib.at  their 
effect  should  not  be  lost.  When  a  number  of  them  fell 
together  amongst  a  thick  crowd  of  the  nobili'.y.  which 
was  commonly  the  case,  it  afforded  an  ent'.;rt;ining  scene 
enoug!),  for  they  defended  themselves  with  their  hats, 
and  threw  them  very  dexterously  upon  their  neighbours. 
However,  we  saw  no  damage  done,  except  the  singeing 
of  a  few  wigs  and  caps  ;  for  the  ladies  were  there  in  as 
great  numbers  as  the  gentlemen. 

The  company  at  the  Prince  Partana's  w:^s  brillijint, 
and  the  entertainment  noble.  It  consisted  principally  cf 
ices,  creams,  chocohue,  sweetmeats,  and  fruit,  of  which 
there  was  a  great  variety.  Not  one  half  cf  the  company 
played  at  cards  ;  the  rest  amused  themselves  in  conversa- 
tion and  walking  on  the  terrace.  We  found  the  young 
prince  and  princess,  wlio  are  very  amiable,  with  several 


^^0  A  Tour  through 


-b' 


of  their  companions,  playing  at  cross-purposes,  and  other 
games  of  that  kind.  VVe  were  joyfully  admitted  of  this 
cheerful  liule  circle,  where  we  amused  ourselves  very 
well  for  several  hours — I  only  mention  this,  to  shew  you 
the  different  system  of  behaviour  here  and  in  Italy,  where 
no  such  familiar  intercourse  is  allowed  amongst  young 
people  before  marriage.  The  young  ladies  here  are  easy, 
affable;  and  unaffected  ;  and,  not  (as  on  the  continent) 
perpetually  stuck  up  at  the  sides  of  their  mothers,  who 
bring  them  into  company,  not  for  their  amusement,  hut 
rather  to  offer  them  to  sale  ;  and  seem  mightily  afraid 
lest  every  one  should  steal  them,  or  that  they  themselves 
should  make  an  elopement;  which  indeed  I  should 
think  there  was  some  danger  of,  considering  the  restraint 
undrr  which  they  are  kept ; — for  surely  there  is  no  such 
strong  incitem.ent  to  vice,  as  the  making  a  punishment 
of  virtue. 

Here  the  mothers  shew  a  proper  confidence  in  their 
daughters,  and  allow  their  real  characters  to  form  and 
to  ripen.  In  the  other  case,  they  have  either  no  cha- 
racter at  all,  or  an  affected  one,  which  they  take  care  to 
throw  off  the  moment  they  have  got  a  husband  ;  when 
they  thiiik  it  impossible  to  recede  too  far  from  those  ri- 
gorous maxinis  of  decorum  and  circumspection,  the 
practice  of  which  they  had  ever  found  so  extremely  dis- 
agreeable. 

Were  they  allowed  first  to  shew  what  they  really  are 
I  am  persuaded  they  would  not  be  half  so  bad;  but  their 
parents,  by  the  masner  they  treat  them,  shew  that  they 
have  no  confidence  in  their  principles  ;  and  seem  to  have 
adopted  the  ungenerous  maxim  of  our  countryman, 

"  That  every  woman  is  at  heart  a  rake." 

Now,  in  countries  where  this  maxim  becomes  of  gene- 
ral belief,  there  is  no  .doubt  that  it  likewise  becomes  true  ; 
lor  the  women  having  no  longer  any  character  to  sup- 
port, they  will  even  avoid  those  pretences  to  virtue,  well 
knowing  that  those  pretences  are  only  looked  upon  as 
hypocrisy  and  affectation.  I  dare  say  you  will  agree  with 
me,  that  the  better  method  to  make  them  virtuous,  is  first 
to  make  them  believe  that  we  think  them  so  ;  for  where 
virtue  is  really  esteemed,  there  are  none  that  would  wil- 
lingly relinquish  the  character ;  but  where  it  requires  a 


^uiij/  and  ifiaCLu.  'J-2i 

guard,  (as  parson  Adaras  says),  it  certainly  is  not  worlli 
the  centinel. 

Some  of  the  families  here  put  me  in  mind  of  iriy  own 
domestic   system.     The   prince  of  ResuUana,  his  wife 
and  daughter,  are  always  together;  but  it  is  because  they 
choose  to  be  so,  and  there  appears  the  strongest  affi.ctior, 
without  the  least  diffidence  en  the  one  side,  or  resirt  int 
on  the  other. — 1  he  young  princess  Dcnna  KosoIiAis  ere 
of  the  most  amiable  young  ladies  I  have  seen;  she  was  of 
our  little  party  Ijst  nighr,  and  indeed  made  one  of  its 
greatest  ornaments — It   would  appear  vain  and  pjirtial 
after  this  to  say,  that  in  countenance,  seniime nr,  f.nd  be- 
haviour, she  seems  altogether  English; — but  it  is  true  : 
and  this  perhaps  may  have  contributed  to  advance  her 
still  higher  in  cur  esteem ;  for  in  spite  of  all  our  philo- 
sophy, these  unphilosophical  prejudices  will  still  exis*, 
and  no  man,  1  believe,  has  entirely  divested  himself  of 
them.     We  had  lately  a  noble  entertainment  at  her  fa- 
therms  country-house,  and  had  reason  to  be  m.uch  pleased 
with   the  unaffected   hospitality  and   easy   politeness  of 
the  whole   family.     This  palace  is   reckoned  the  most 
magnificent  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Palermo.     It  lies 
about  six  or  seven  miles  to  the  west  of  the  city,   in   the 
country  called  11  CcUc,  in  tlie  opposite  direction  from  the; 
Bagnvia,  which  I  have  already  mentioned.     The  viceroy 
and  his  fjmily,  with  the  greatest  part  of  the  nobility,  were 
of  this  party,  which  lasted  till  about  two  in  ihe  morning. 
At  midnight  a  curious  set  of  firev/orks  were  played  off  ^ 
from  the  leads  of  the  palace,  which  had  a  fine  effect  frora 
the  garden  below. 

Farewcl. — I  had  no  time  to  wi  ite  yesterday,  and  thorgh 
we  did  not  break  up  till  near  three  this  mornlr.g,  I  ha^o• 
got  up  at  eight,  I  WcS  so  eager  to  give  you  some  account 
of  the  Sirocc  wind. 

We  are  now  going  to  be  very  busy :  the  feast  cf  S^ 
Rosolia  begins  tomorrow;  and  all  the  world  are  on  th^ 
very  tip-toe  cf  expectation  :  perhaps  t'ney  may  be  disap- 
pointed. I  often  wish  ihut  you  weie  with  us,  particularly 
when  we  are  happy  :  though  you  know  it  is  by  no  means 
feasts  and  shows  that  makei  us  so.  However,  as  this  i.s 
perhaps  the  most  remarkable  one  in  Europe,  th»-»t  you  may 
enjoy  as  much  of  it  as  possible,  I  shall  ?it  down  every 
'■i:jht.  and  eive  you  a  short  accoi::.'  :'  *•.  •  •  .  '•  — • 
V  2 


22^  A  Tour  through 


'i3' 


of  the  day.  We  are  now  going  to  breakfast;  after  \fhich 
we  arc  engaged  to  play  at  Ballon,  an  exercise  I  suppose 
you  are  well  acquainted  with ;  but  as  the  day  promises  to 
be  extremely  hot,  I  believe  I  shall  desert  the  party,  and 
go  a-swimming. — But  I  see  F.  and  G.  have  already  at- 
tacked the  figs  and  peaches,  so  I  nuist  appear  for  my 
interest -—Fare wel. 


LETTER  XXX. 


Palermo^  July  12. 

ABOUT  five  in  the  afternoon,  the  festival  began  by 
the  triumph  of  St.  Rosolia,  who  was  drawn  with 
great  pomp  through  the  centre  of  the  city,  from  the  Ma- 
rino to  the  Porto  Nuovo.  The  triumphal  car  was  pre- 
ceded by  a  troop  of  horse,  with  trumpets  and  keitle- 
drums  ;  and  ail  the  city  officers  in  their  gala  uniforms. 
It  is  indeed  a  most  enormous  machine :  it  measures 
seventy  feet  long,  thirty  wide,  and  upwards  of  eighty 
high  ;  and  as  it  passed  along,  overtopped  the  loftiest 
houses  of  Palermo.  The  form  of  its  under  part  is  like 
that  of  the  Roman  galleys,  but  it  swells  as  it  advances  in 
height;  and  the  front  assumes  an  oval  shape  like  an  amphi- 
theatre, with  seats  placed  in  the  theatrical  manner.— 
This  is  the  great  orchestra,  which  was  filled  with  a  nu- 
merous band  of  musicians  placed  in  rows,  one  above  the 
other:  Over  this  orchestra,  and  a  little  behind  it,  there 
is  a  large  dome,  supported  by  six  Corinthian  colunms, 
and  adorned  with  a  number  of  figures  of  saints  and  angels; 
and  on  the  summit  of  the  dome  there  is  a  gigantic  silver 
statue  of  St.  Ros<;lia.— The  whole  machine  is  dressed 
«ut  with  orange-trees,  flower-pots,  and  trees  of  artificial 
^oral.  The  car  stopped  every  fifty  or  sixty  yards,  when 
the  orchestra  performed  a  piece  of  music,  with  songs  in 
honour  of  the  saint.  It  appeared  a  moving  castle,  and 
completely  filled  the  great  street  from  side  to  side.  This 
indeed  was  its  greatest  disadvantage,  for  the  space  it  had  to 
move  in  was  in  nowise  proportioned  to  its  size,  and  the 


Sicily  and  Malta.  ^^6 

honses  seemed  to  dwindle  away  to  nothing  as  it  passed 
._,  along.  This  vast  fabric  was  drawn  by  fifty-six  huge 
'  mules,  in  two  rows,  curiously  caparisoned,  and  mounted 
by  twenty-eight  postilions,  dressed  in  gold  and  silver 
stuffs,  with  great  plumes  of  ostrich  feaihers  in  their  hats. 
Every  window  and  balcony,  on  both  sides  of  the  street, 
were  full  of  well-dressed  people,  and  the  car  was  followed 
by  many  thousands  of  the  lower  sort.  The  triumph  was 
finished  in  about  three  hours ;  and  was  succeeded  by  the 
beautiful  illumination  of  the  Marino. 

I  believe  I  have  already  mentioned,  that  there  is  a 
range  of  arches  and  pyramids  extending  from  end  to  end 
of  this  noble  walk:  these  are  painted,  and  adorned  with 
artificial  flowers,  and  are  entirely  covered  with  lamps, 
placed  so  very  thick,  that  at  a  little  distance  the  whole 
appears  so  many  pyramids  and  arches  of  flame.  The 
whole  chain  of  this  illumination  was  about  a  mile  in  length, 
and  indeed  you  can  hardly  conceive  any  thing  more 
splendid.  There  was  no  break  or  imperfection  any 
where;  the  night  being  so  still  that  not  a  single  lamp  was 
extinguished. 

Opposite  to  the  centre  of  this  great  line  of  light,  there 
was  a  magnificent  paviiion  erected  for  the  viceroy  ?.nd  his 
conjpany,  which  consisted  of  the  whole  nobility  of  Paler- 
mo :  and  on  the  front  of  this,  at  some  little  distance  in 
the  sea,  stood  the  great  fire-works,  representing  the 
front  of  a  palace,  adorned  with  colutnns,  arches,  trophies, 
and  every  ornament  of  architecture.  All  the  chebecks, 
giUeys,  galliots,  and  other  shipping,  were  ranged  around 
this  palace,  and  formed  a  kind  of  amphitheatre  in  the  sea, 
inclosing  it  in  the  centre. — These  began  to  shew  by  a 
discha'-ge  of  the  whole  of  their  artillery,  the  sound  of 
which,  re-echoed  from  the  mountains,  produced  a  very 
noble  effect.  They  then  played  off  a  variety  of  water- 
rockets,  and  bombs  of  a  curious  construction,  which  often 
burst  below  water.  This  continued  for  half  an  hour, 
when,  in  an  instant,  the  wKole  of  the  palace  was  beauti- 
fully illuminated  Tlyis  was  the  signal  for  the  shipping 
to  cease,  and  appeared  indeed  like  a  piece  of  enchant- 
ment, as  it  was  done  altogether  instantaneously,  and 
without  the  appearance  of  any  agent  At  the  sacfte  time 
the  fiuntains  that  were  represented  in  the  court  before 
the  palace,  began  to  spout  up  fire,  and  made  a  representa- 


9^24  A  Tour  thmigh 

tion  of  some  of  the  great  jet  d*eau8  of  Versailles  and 
Marli.  As  soon  as  these  were  extinguished,  the  court, 
assumed  the  form  of  a  tj^reat  parterre  ;  adorned  with  a 
variety  of  palm-trees  of  fire,  interspersed  with  orange- 
trees,  flower-pots,  vases,  and  other  ornaments.  On  the 
cxtini^uishing  of  these,  the  illumination- of  ihe  palace  was 
likewise  extinguished  ;  and  the  front  of  it  broke  out  into 
the  appearance  of  a  variety  of  suns,  stars,  and  vvj^jeel  of 
fire,  which  in  a  short  time  reduced  it  to  a  perfect  ruiH. 
And  when  all  appeared  finished,  there  burst  from  tl.e 
centre  of  the  pile,  a  vast  explosion  of  two  thousand  rock- 
ets, bombs,  serpents,  squibs,  and  devils,  which  seemed  to 
fill  the  whole  atmosphere  :  the  fall  of  these  made  terrible 
havock  amongst  the  clothes  of  the  poor  people,  who  were 
not  under  cover,  but  afforded  admirable  entertainment 
to  the  nobilily  who  were.  During  this  exhibition,  we 
had  a  handsome  entertainment  of  coffee,  ices,  and  sweet- 
meats, with  a  variety  of  excellent  wines,  in  the  great  pa- 
vilion in  the  centre  of  the  Marino;  this  was  at  the  expence 
of  the  Duke  of  Castellano,  the  praetor  (or  mayor)  of  the 
city.  The  principal  nobility  give  these  entertainments 
by  turns  every  night  during  the  festival,  and  vie  with 
each  other  in  their  magnificence. 

As  soon  as  the  fire-works  were  finished,  the  viceroy 
went  out  to  sea  in  a  galley  richly  illuminated.  We  chose 
to  stay  on  shore,  to  see  the  appearance  it  made  at  a  dis- 
tance. It  was  rowed  by  seventy-two  oars,  and  indeed 
made  one  of  the  most  beautiful  objects  you  can  imagine  ; 
flying  with  vast  velocity  over  the  waters,  as  smooth  and 
as  clear  as  glass,  which  shone  round  it  like  a  flame,  and 
reflected  its  splendour  on  all  sides.  The  oars  beat  time 
to  the  French  horns,  clarions,  and  trumpets,  of  which 
there  were  a  numerous  band  on  the  prow. 

Tiie  day's  entertainment  was  concluded  by  the  Corso, 
which  began  exactly  at  midnight,  and  lasted  till  two  in 
the  morning. 

The  great  street  was  illuminated  in  the  same  magni- 
ficent manner  as  the  Marino.  The  arches  and  pyramids 
were  erected  at  little  distances  from  each  other,  on  both 
sides  of  the  street,  betwixt  the  foot-path  and  the  space 
for  carriages ;  and  when  seen  from  either  of  the  gates, 
appeared  to  bs  two  continued  lines  of  the  brightest  flame. 
Indeed,  these  illiiniinations  are  so  very  different,  and 'so 


Sicily  and  Malta,  ^25 

much  superior,  to  any  I  have  ever  seen,  that  I  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  give  any  tolerable  idea  of  them.  Two  lines  of 
coaches  occupied  the  space  b«twixt  these  two  lines  of 
illumination.  They  were  in  the  greatest  gala  ;  and  as 
they  open  from  the  middle,  and  led  down  on  each  side, 
the  beauty  of  the  ladies,  the  lichness  of  their  dress,  and 
brilliance  of  their  jewels,  were  displayed  in  the  most  ad- 
vai     e;etus  manner 

'1  nis  beautiful  train  moved  slowly  round  and  round  for 
the  space  of  two  hours;  and  every  member  of  it  seemed 
animated  with  a  desire  to  please. —  The  company  appear 
all  joy  and  exultation  : — Si^arce  two  coaches  passed  with- 
out some  mutual  acknowledgment  of  affection  or  respect; 
and  the  pleasure  that  sparkled  from  every  eye  seemed  to 
be  reflected  and  communicated  by  a  kind  of  sympathy 
through  the  whole. 

In  such  an  assembly,  it  was  impossible  for  the  heart 
not  to  dilate  and  expand  itself; — I  own  mine  was  often 
so  full,  that  I  could  haidly  find  utterance;  and  1  have 
seen  a  tragedy  with  less  emotic^n  than  I  did  this  scene  of 
joy. — I  always  thought  these  affections  had  been  strangers 
to  pomp  and  parade  ;  but  here  the  universal  joy  seemed 
really  to  spring  from  the  heart :  it  brightened  iip  every 
countenance,  and  spoke  affecUon  snd  friendship  from 
every  face — No  stately  air, — no  supercilious  look  ; — all 
appeared  friends  and  equals. — And  sure  I  an  ,  that  the 
beauty  of  the  ladies  was  not  half  so  much  heightened 
either  by  their  dress  or  their  jewels,  as  by  that  air  of 
complacency  and  good  humour  with  which  it  was  ani- 
mated. 

We  were  distributed  in  different  coaches  amongst  the 
nobility,  which  gave  us  a  better  oppoitunitv  of  making 
these  observations. — I  will  own  to  you,  that  I  have  never 
beheld  a  more  delightful  sight : — and  if  superstition  often 
produces  such  effects,  I  sincerely  wish  we  had  a  little 
more  of  it  amongst  us.  I  could  have  thrown  myself 
down  before  St.  Rosolia,  and  blessed  her  for  making  so 
many  people  happy. 

We  retired  about  two  o'clock ;  but  the  variety  of  glit- 
tering scenes  and  gaudy  objects  still  vibrated  before  my 
eyes,  and  prevented  me  from  sleeping  ;  however,  I  am 
almost  as  much  refreshed  as  if  I  had  :  but  I  really  believe 
four  more  such  days  will  be  too  much  for  any  of  us  — 


'2^6  A  Tour  through 

Indeed,  I  am  sure  that  it  is  impossible  to  keep  it  up,  antl 
it  must  necessarily  flag.  I  think,  from  what  I  can  ob- 
serve, they  have  already  exhausted  almost  one  half  of 
their  preparations ;  how  they  are  to  support  the  other 
four  days,  I  own,  I  do  not  comprehend  ; — however,  we 
shall  see. 

I  thought  to  have  given  you  an  account  of  every  thing 
at  night,  after  it  was  over,  but  I  find  it  impossible:  the 
spirits  are  too  much  dissipated,  and  exhausted,  and  the 
imagination  is  too  full  of  objects  to  be  able  to  separate 
them  with  any  degree  of  regularity. — I  shall  write  you 
therefore  regularly  the  morning  ifollovving,  when  this 
fever  of  the  fancy  has  had  time  to  cool,  and  when  things 
appear  as  they  really  are.  Adieu  then  till  to-morrow— 
Here  is  a  tine  shower,  which  will  cool  the  air,  and  save 
the  trouble  of  watering  the  Marino  and  the  great  street, 
which  is  done  regularly  every  morning  when  there  is  no 
rain.     The  thermometer  is  at  73. 

13?A.  I  thought  there  would  be  a  falling  off.  Yester- 
day's entertainments  were  not  so  splendid  as  those  of  the 
day  before.  They  began  by  the  horse-races.  There  were 
three  races,  and  six  horses  started  each  race.  These 
were  moimted  by  boys  of  about  twelve  years  old,  without 
either  saddle  or  bridle,  but  only  a  small  piece  of  cord,  by 
way  of  bit,  in  the  horse's  mouth,  which,  it  seems,  is  suf- 
ficient to  stop  them.  The  great  street  was  the  course  ; 
and  to  this  end  it  was  covered  with  earth  to  the  depth  of 
five  or  six  inches. — The  firing  of  a  cannon  at  the  Porto 
Felice  was  the  signal  for  starting  :  and  the  horses  seemed 
to  understand  this,  for  they  all  set  off  at  once,  full  speed, 
and  continued  at  their  utmost  stretch  to  the  Porto  Nuovo, 
which  was  the  winning  post.  It  is  exactly  a  mile,  and 
they  performed  it  in  a  m.inute  and  thirty-five  second^-, 
which,  considering  the  size  of  the  horses,  (scarce  four- 
teen hands)  we  thouglit  was  very  great.  These  are 
generally  Barbs,  or  a  mixed  breed,  betwixt  the  Sicilian 
and  Barb.  The  boys  were  gaudily  dressed,  and  made  a 
pretty  appearance.— We  were  surprised  to  see  how  well 
they  stuck  on  ;  but  indeed,  I  observed  they  had  generally 
laid  fast  hold  of  the  mane. 

The  moment  before  starting,  the  street  appeared  full 
of  people ;  nor  did  we  conceive  how  the  race  could  pos- 
sibly be  performed.     Our  surprise  was  increased,  when 


\  Sicily  and  Malta.  ^-21 

we  saw  the  horses  run  full  speed  at  the  very  thickest  cf 
this  crowd,  which  did  not  begin  to  open,  till  ihey  were 
almost  close  upon  it. — The  people  then  opened,  and  fell 
back  on  each  side,  by  a  regular  uniform  motion,  from  one 
end  of  the  street  lo  the  other.  This  singular  manoeuvre 
seemed  to  be  performed  without  any  bustle  or  confusion, 
and  the  moment  the  horses  were  past,  they  closed  again 
behind  them.  However,  it  destroys  great  part  of  the 
pleasure  of  the  race  ;  for  you  cannot  help  being  under 
apprehensions  for  such  a  number  of  people,  whom  you 
every  moment  see  in  imminent  danger  of  being  trod  to 
death  ;  for  this  must  inevitably  be  their  fate,  were  they 
only  a  second  or  two  later  in  retiring.  These  accidents, 
they  allow,  have  often  happened  :  however,  yesterday 
every  body  escaped. 

The  victor  was  conducted  along  the  street  in  triumph, 
with  his  prize  displayed  before  him.  This  was  a  piece 
of  white  silk,  embroidered  and  worked  with  gold. 

These  races,  I  think,  are  much  superior  to  the  com- 
mon style  of  races  in  Italy,  which  are  performed  by 
horses  alone  without  riders ;  but  they  are  by  no  means  to 
be  compared  to  those  in  England. 

The  great  street  was  illu-ninated  in  the  same  manner 
as  on  the  preceding  night ;  and  the  grand  conversation 
of  the  nobles  was  held  at  the  archbishop's  palace,  which 

j  richly  fitted  up  for  the  occasion. 

'       The  gardens  were  finely  illuminated  ;  and  put  n^e  in 

I  mind  of  our  Vauxhall.  1  here  were  two  orchestras  (one 
at  each  end),  and  two  very  good  bunds  cf  music.  The 
entertainment  was  splendid,  and  the  archbishop  shewed 

1  attention  and  politeness  to  every  peison  of  the  con-pany. 
About  ten  o'clock  the  great  triumphal  car  marched 
back  again  in  procession  to  the  Marino.  It  was  richly 
illuminated  with  large  wax  tapers,  and  made  a  most  for- 
midable figure. — Don  Quixote  ^"'ould  have  been  very 
excuseable  in  takinii:  it  for  an  enchanted  casik,  moving 
through  the  air. — We  did  not  leave  th.e  archbishop's  till 
midnight,  when  the  Corso  began,  which  was  precisely 
the  same  in  every  respect  as  the  night  before,  and  afli'urd- 
ed  us  a  delightful  scene. 

l4^/i.  Last  night  the  two  great  streets  and  the  four 
gates  of  the  city  that  tcminate  thcni,  were  iiluninaiei 
in  the  most  splendid  manner.     These  streets  cross  cacli 


328  A  Toitr  through 

other  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  where  they  form  a  beau- 
tiful square,  calltd  La  Piazza  Ottavgolare^iTom  the  eight 
angles  they  form  This  square  wiis  richly  ornamented 
with  tapestri ,  statues,  and  artificial  flowers  ;  and  as  the 
buildings  which  form  its  four  sides  are  uniform  and  of  a 
beautiful  architecture,  and  at  ihe  same  time  highly  illu- 
minated, it  made  a  fine  appearance.  There  are  four 
orchestras  erected  in  it :  and  the  four  bands  of  music  are 
greater  than  I  had  any  conception  this  city  could  have 
produced. 

From  the  centre  of  this  square  you  have  a  view  of  the 
whole  city  of  Palermo,  thus  dressed  out  in  its  glory ;  and, 
indeed,  the  effect  it  produces  surpasses  belief.  The 
four  gates  that  form  the  vistas  of  this  splendid  scene  are 
highly  decorated,  and  lighted  up  in  bu  elegant  taste  ;  the 
illuminations  representing  a  variety  of  trophies,  the  arms 
of  Spain,  those  of  Naples,  Sicily,  and  the  city  of  Palermo, 
with  their  guardian  geniuses,  &c. 

The  conversation  of  the  n.bles  was  held  in  the  vice» 
roy*s  palace  ;  and  the  entertainment  was  still  more  mag- 
nificent than  any  of  the  former.  The  great  fire- works 
opposite  to  the  front  of  the  palace  began  at  ten  o'clock, 
and  ended  at  midnight ;  after  which  we  went  to  the  Cor- 
so,  which  lasted  as  usual,  till  two  in  the  morning.  This 
partjof  the  entertainment  still  pleases  us  the  most ;  it  is 
indeed  the  only  part  of  it  that  reaches  the  heart ;  and 
where  this  is  not  the  case,  a  puppet-shew  is  just  as  good 
as  a  coronation — We  have  now  got  arquainted  almost 
with  every  countenance ;  and  from  that  air  of  goodeess 
and  benignity  that  animates  them,  and  which  seems  to 
be  mutually  reflv'ctcd  from  one  to  the  other,  we  are  in- 
clined to  form  me  most  favourable  opinion  of  the  people. 

Our  fire-works  last  night  were  greater  than  those  of 
the  Marinn,  bui  their  tfTct  did  not  please  me  so  much 
the  want  of  the  sea  and  the  shipping  were  two  capital 
wants.  They  likewise  represented  the  front  of  a  palace, 
but  of  a  greater  extent.  It  was  illuminated  too  as  the 
form*r,  an  1  the  whole  conducted  pretty  much  in  the 
%\^\<  u.anner.  We  saw  it  lo  the  greatest  advantage  from 
the  btlconir.s  of  the  state  ap  irtnients,  in  the  viceroy's 
P»1k>  ,  A'her^  we  hnd  !in  elegant  concert ;  but,  to  the  no 
sm  iH  disappointment  of  the  company,  G  ibrieli,  the  finest 
singe's  but  the  most  capricious  mortal  upon  earth,  did 
not  choose  to  perfurra. 


w- 


Sicily  and  3Iallu,  ;2i!^ 

\3tb.  Three  races,  six  horses  each  as  formerly.  They 
oalled  it  very  goo  J  sport.  I  cannot  say  thut  1  admired 
it. — A  poor  creature  was  rode  down,  and  I  believe  killed  > 
and  one  of  the  boys  had  likewise  a  fall. 

The  Gjreat  assembly  of  the  nobility  was  held  at  the 
Judice  Monarchia's,  an  o.Ticer  of  hii^h  trust  and  dignity. 
Here  we  had  an  entertainment  in  the  same  style  as  the 
other,  and  a  good  concert. — At  eleven  o'clock  the  vice- 
roy, attended  by  the  whole  company,  went  on  foot  to  visit 
the  square  and  the  great  church  — We  made  a  prodigi- 
ous train  ;  for  though  the  city  was  all  a  lamp  of  light,  the 
servants  of  the  viceroy  and  nobility  attended  with  wax 
flambeaux,  to  shew  us  the  way.  As  soon  as  the  viceroy 
entered  the  square,  the  four  orchestras  struck  up  a  sym- 
phony, and  continued  playing  till  he  left  it. 

The  crowd  around  the  church  was  very  great,  and 
without  the  presence  of  the  viceroy  it  would  have  been 
impossible  for  us  to  get   in  ;    but  hi'i   attendants  soon 
cleared  the  passage  ;  and  at  once  entering  the  great  gate, 
we  beheld  the  most  splendid  scene  in  the  world       The 
whole  church  appeared  a  flame  of  light;  which,  reflected 
from  ten  thousand  bright  and  shining  furnaces,  of  differ- 
ent colours,  and  at  difl*erent  angle?,  produced  an  effect, 
which,  I  think,  exceeds  all  the  descriptions  of  enchant- 
ment I  ever  read.     Indeed,  I  did  not  think  that  human 
art  could  have  devised  any  thing  so  splendid      1  believe 
I  have  already  mentioned,  that  the  whole  church,  walls, 
roof,   pillars,   and  pilasters  were  entirely  covered  over 
with  mirror,  interspersed  with  gold  and  silver  paper,  arti- 
ficial flowers,  8cc    done  up  with  great  taste  and  elegance, 
so  that  not  one  inch  either  of  stone  or  plaster  was  to  be 
seen. — Now,  form  an  idea  if  you  can,  of  one  of  our  great 
cathedrals  dressed  out  in  this  manner,  and  illuminated 
with  twenty  thousand  wax  tapers,  and  you  will  have  some 
faint  notion  of  this  spl-rndid  scene      1  own  it  did  greatly 
excetd  my  expectations,  alihough,  fiom  the  descriptions 
we  had  of  it,  they  were  raised  very  high      When  we  rc- 
recovered  from  our  first  surprise,  which  had  produced, 
unknown  to  ourselves,  many  exclamations  of  astonish- 
ment, I  observed  that  all  the  eyes  of  the  nobility  were 
fixed  upon  us;  and  that  they  enjoyed  exceedingly  the  a- 
mazement  into  which  we  were  thrown,  lad.  ed  this  scene, 
in  my  opinion,  greatly  exceeds  all  the  rest  of  the  shew.' 
X 


^30  A  Tour  through 

I  have  often  heard  the  illumination  of  St.  Peter's  spoken 
of  as  a  wonderful  fine  thing  :  so  indeed  it  is  ;  but  it  is 
certainly  no  more  to  be  compared  to  this,  than  the  planet 
Venus  is  to  the  sun. — The  effects  indeed  are  of  a  differ- 
ent kind,  and  cannot  well  be  compared  together. 

This  scene  was  too  glaring  to  bear  any  considerable 
time;  and  the  heat  occasioned  by  the  immense  number 
of  lights,  soon  became  intolerable .-^I  attempted  to  reckon 
the  number  of  lustres,  and  counted  upwards  of  five  hun- 
dred ;  but  my  head  became  giddy,  and  I  was  obliged  to 
give  it  up — They  assure  us,  that  the  number  of  wax 
tapers  is  not  less  than  twenty  thousand.  There  are  eight 
and  twenty  altars,  fourteen  on  each  side;  these  are  dress- 
ed out  with  the  utmost  magnificence  ;  and  the  great  altar 
is  still  the  most  splendid  of  all. 

When  you  think  of  the  gaudy  materials  that  compose 
the  lining  of  the  church,  it  will  be  difficult  to  annex  an 
idea  of  grandeur  and  majesty  to  it ;  at  least,  so  it  struck 
me,  when  I  was  first  told  of  it ;  yet,  I  assure  you,  the 
elegant  simplicity  and  unity  of  the  design  prevents  this 
effect,  and  gives  an  air  of  dignity  to  the  whole. 

It  is  on  this  part  of  the  show  the  people  of  Palermo 
value  themselves  the  most ;  they  talk  of  all  the  rest  as 
trifling  in  comparison  of  this ;  and  indeed,  I  think  it  is 
probable,  that  there  is  nothing  of  the  kind  in  the  world 
that  is  equal  to  it — It  is  strange  they  should  choose  to 
be  at  so  great  an  expence  and  trouble,  for  a  show  of  a  few 
hours  only  ;  for  they  have  already  begun  this  morning 
to  strip  the  church  of  its  gaudy  dress,  and  I  am  told  it 
will  not  be  finished  for  many  weeks. 

From  the  church  we  weut  immediately  to  the  Corso, 
which  concluded,  as  usual,  the  entertainments  of  the  day. 

I6th.  Last  night  we  had  the  full  illumination  of  all  the 
streets. — The  assembly  was  held  at  the  praetor's,  where 
there  was  an  elegant  entertainment,  and  a  conceit.— 
Pacherotti,  the  first  njan  of  the  opera,  distinguished  him- 
self very  much.  I  think  he  is  one  of  the  most  agreeable 
siniijers  I  ever  heard  ;  and  am  persuaded,  that  in  a  few 
years  he  will  be  very  celebrated.  Can»panucci,  the  se- 
cond soprni.f;,  is.  I  think,  preferable  to  must  that  I  have 
heard  in  Iialy  ;  and  you  will  the  more  easily  believe  this, 
when  I  inform  you,  ihat  he  is  engaged  for  next  winter  to 
b^e  the  first  singer  in  the  great  opera  at  Rome.     Is  it  not 


Sidhj  and  Malta,  Q31 

strange,  that  the  capital  of  all  Italy,  and,  for  the  fine  arts 
(as  it  formerly  was  for  arms),  the  capital  of  the  world, 
should  condescend  to  choose  its  first  opera  performer 
from  amongst  the  subalterns  of  a  remote  Sicilian  stage  ? 

You  will  believe,  that  with  two  such  sopranos  as  these, 
and  Gubrieli  for  the  first  woman,  the  opera  here  will  not 
be  a  despicable  one.  It  is  to  begin  in  a  few  days,  not- 
withstanding the  extreme  heat  of  the  season  ;  so  fund  are 
the  people  here  of  these  entertainments. 

Their  opera  dancers  are  those  you  had  last  year  at 
London  ;  they  are  just  arrived,  and  the  people  are  by  no 
means  pleased  with  them.  We  saw  them  this  morning 
at  the  rehearsal ;  and,  to  their  great  surprise,  addressed 
them  in  English.  You  cannot  imugine  how  happy  they 
were  to  see  us.  Poor  souls !  I  was  deligiUed  to  hear 
with  what  warmth  of  gratitude  and  affec'ion  they  spoke 
of  England.  There  is  a  mother  and  two  daughters  ;  the 
youngest  pretty,  but  the  eldest  the  first  dancer,  appears 
a  sensible,  modest,  well-behaved  girl  ;^more  j-o  than  is 
common  with  these  sort  of  people.  Speaking  of  England, 
she  said,  with  a  degree  of  warmth,  that  her  good  treat* 
ment  in  general  could  hardly  inspire,  that  in  her  lifti  she 
never  left  any  country  with  so  sore  a  heart ;  and  had  she 
only  enjoyed  her  health,  all  the  world  shfiuld  never  have 
torn  her  away  from  it — She  seemed  affected  when  she 
said  this. — I  acknowledt^ed  the  honour  she  did  the  Eng- 
lish nation  ;  but  alleged  that  these  sentiments,  and  the 
manner  in  which  they  were  uttered,  could  scarcely  pro- 
ceed from  a  general  love  of  the  country — She  answered 
me  with  a  smile,  but  at  the  same  time  I  could  observe  the 
tear  in  her  eye. — At  that  instant  we  were  interrupled  ; 
however,  I  shall  endeavour,  if  possible,  to  learn  her  sto- 
ry ;  for  I  am  persuaded  there  is  one  ;  perhaps  you  may 
know  it,  as  I  dare  say  it  is  no  secret  in  Eondon. 

But  I  have  got  quite  away  from  my  subject,  and  had 
forgot  that  I  sat  down  to  give  you  an  account  of  the  feast. 
Indeed,  I  will  own,  it  is  a  kind  of  subject  I  by  no  means 
like  to  write  upon  ;  I  almost  repent  that  I  had  underii<ken 
it,  and  am  heartily  glad  it  is  now  over. — It  does  very 
well  to  see  shows;  but  their  description  is  of  all  things 
on  earth  the  most  insipid  :  for  words  and  writing  convey 
ideas  only  by  a  slow  and  regular  kind  of  progress ;  and 
while  we  gain  one,  we  generally  lose  another,  so  that  the 


^32  A  Tour  ilirougU 

f.mcy  seldom  embraces  the  whole  ;  but  when  a  tho  ?sand 
objects  strike  you  at  once,  the  iriiagination  is  filled  and 
satisfied. 

The  pjreat  procession,  that  closes  the  festival,  began 
at  ten  o'clock — It  only  differed  from  other  processions 
in  this,  that  besides  all  the  piiesls,  fiiars,  and  religious 
orders  of  the  city,  there  were  placed  at  equal  distances 
from  each  other  ten  lofty  machines  made  of  wood  and 
paste-board,  ornamented  in  an  elegant  manner,  represent- 
ing teniples,  tabernacles,  and  a  variety  of  beautiful  pieces 
of  architecture — These  are  furnished  by  the  different 
convents  and  religious  fraternities,  who  vie  with  each 
other  in  the  richness  and  elegance  of  the  work.  Some 
of  them  are  not  less  than  sixty  feet  high. — They  are 
iilled  with  figures  of  saints  and  of  angels,  made  of  wax, 
so  natural  and  so  admirably  well  painted,  that  many  of 
them  seemed  really  to  be  alive.  All  these  figures  are 
prepared  by  the  nuns,  and  by  them  dressed  out  in  rich 
robes  of  gold  and  silver  tissue. 

We  were  a  good  deal  amused  this  morning  to  see 
them  returning  home  in  coaches  to  their  respective  nun- 
neries.— At  first  we  took  them  for  ladies  in  their  gala 
dress,  going  out  to  visit  the  churches,  which  we  were 
told  was  the  custom,  and  began  to  pull  off  our  hats  as 
they  went  past.  Indeed  we  were  led  into  this  blunder 
by  some  of  our  friends,  who  carried  us  out  on  purpose  ; 
and  as  they  saw  the  coaches  approach,  told  us,  This  is 
the  Princess  of  such  a  thing — there  is  the  Duchess  of 
such  another  thing; — and,  in  short,  we  had  made  half  a 
dozen  of  cur  best  bows,  (to  the  no  small  entertainment 
of  these  wagb),  before  we  discovered  the  trick — They 
BOW  insist  upon  it,  that  wc  are  good  Catholics,  for  all 
this  morning  we  had  betn  bowing  to  saints  and  angels. 

A  great  silver  box,  containing  the  bones  of  St.  Ro- 
solia,  closed  the  procession.  It  was  carried  by  thirty-six 
of  the  most  respectable  burgesses  of  the  city,  who  lock 
upon  this  as  the  greatest  honour.  The  archibishop  walk- 
ed behind  it,  giving  his  benediction  to  the  people  as  he 
passed 

No  sooner  had  the  procession  finished  the  tour  of  the 
great  square,  before  the  praetor's  palace,  than  the  foun- 
tain in  the  centre,  one  of  the  largest  and  finest  in  Europe, 
was  converted  into  a  fountain  of  fire  ;  throwing  it  up  on 


Sicilij  and  Malta.  ^33 

all  skies,  aiid  making  a  beautiful  appearance.  It  only 
lasted  for  a  few  minutes,  and  was  extinguished  by  a  vast 
explosion,  which  conchided  the  whole.  As  this  was  al- 
together unexpected,  it  produced  a  fine  effect  and  sur- 
prised the  spectators  more  than  any  of  the  great  fire 
works  had  done. 

There  was  a  mutual  and  fiiendly  congratulation  ran 
through  the  whole  assembly,  which  soon  after  parted, 
and  this  morning  every  thing  has  once  more  reussumed 
its  natural  form  and  order ; — and  I  assure  you,  we  were 
not  more  happy  at  tlie  opening  of  the  feslivr.l,  than  we  are 
now  at  its  conclusion.  Every  body  was  fatigued  and  ex- 
hausted by  the  perpetual  feasting,  watching,  and  dissipa- 
tion of  these  five  days.  However,  upon  the  whole,  we 
have  been  much  delighted  with  it,  and  may  with  truth 
pronounce,  that  the  entertainments  of  the  feast  of  St.  Ro- 
solia  are  much  beyond  those  of  the  holy  week  at  Rome  ; 
cf  the  Ascension  at  Venice;  or,  indeed,  any  other  festival 
we  have  ever  been  witness  of. 

I  believe  I  did  not  tell  you,  that  about  ten  or  twelve 
days  ago,  as  the  time  we  had  appointed  for  our  return 
to  Naples  was  elapsed,  we  had  hired  a  small  vessel,  and 
provided  every  thing  for  our  departure;  we  had  taken 
leave  of  the  viceroy,  and  received  our  passports.  Our 
baggage  and  sea- store  was  already  on  board,  when  we 
were  set  upon  by  our  friends  and  solicited  with  so  much 
earnestness  and  cordiality»  to  give  them  another  fort- 
night, that  we  found  it  impossible  to  refuse  it;  and  in 
consequence  discharged  our  vessel,  and  sent  for  our 
trunks. — I  should  not  have  mentioned  this,  were  it  not  to 
shew  you  how  much  more  attention  is  paid  to  strangers 
here  than  in  most  places  en  the  continent. 

We  reckon  ourselves  much  indebted  to  them  for  having 
obliged  us  to  prolong  our  stay;  as,  independent  of  the 
amusements  of  tlic  festival,  we  have  met  with  so  much 
hospitality  and  urbanity,  that  it  is  now  wiih  the  most  sin- 
cere regret  we  find  ourselves  obliged  to  leave  them.  In- 
deed, had  we  brought  our  clothes  and  books  from  Naphs, 
it  is  hard  to  say  how  long  we  iiiight  have  stayed. 

We  have  sent  to  engage  a  vessel,  but  probably  shall 
not  sail  for  five  or  six  days.     Adieu. 


X  2 


^3'i«  //  Tour  through 


LETTER  XX3*. 


Palermo^  July  19 

WE  have  now  had  time  to  inquire  a  little  into  some 
of  the  antiquities  of  this  island,  and  have  found 
several  people,  particularly  the  prince  of  Torremuzzo, 
who  have  made  this  the  great  object  of  their  study.  How- 
ever, I  find  we  must  wade  through  oceans  of  fiction, 
before  we  can  arrive  at  any  thing  certain  or  satisfactory. 
Most  of  the  Sicilian  authors  agree  in  deriving  their 
origin  from  Ham,  or,  as  they  call  him,  Cham,  the  son 
of  Noah,  who,  they  pretend,  is  the  same  with  Saturn, 
rhey  tell  you,  that  he  built  a  great  city,  which  from 
him  was  named  Camesena.  There  have  been  violent 
disputes  about  the  situation  of  this  city  ;  Beroso  supposes 
it  to  have  stood  where  Camarina  was  afterwards  founded, 
and  that  this  was  only  a  corruption  of  its  priu.itive  name. 
But  Guarneri,  Carrera,  and  others,  combat  this  opinion, 
and  affirm,  that  Camesena  stood  near  the  foot  of  -£tna, 
between  Aci  and  Catania,  almost  opposite  to  those  three 
rocks  that  still  bear  the  name  of  the  Cyclops — Indeed 
(Jarrera  mentions  an  inscription  that  he  had  seen  in  a 
ruin  near  Aci,  supposed  to  have  been  the  sepulchre  of 
Acis,  which  he  thinks  puts  this  matter  out  of  doubt.— 
These  are  his  words :  "  Haec  est  inscriptio  vetustae  cu- 
iusdam  tabellae  repertae  in  pyramide  sepulchri  Acis,  ex 
fragmentis  vetustissima  Chamesenae,  urbis  hodie  Acis, 
conditae  a  Cham,  gigantum  principe,  eiiam  nuncupate 
Sauirno  Chameseno,  in  promontorii  Xiphonio,  ubi  adhuc 
hodie  visuntur  solo  aequata  antiqua  vestigia,  et  ruinae 
dictae  urbis  et  arcis  in  insula  prope  Scopulos  Cyclopum, 
et  retinet  adhuc  sincopatum  nomen  LaGazzena.'* 

This  same  Cham,  they  tell  you,  was  a  very  great  scoun- 
drel, and  that  esenus,  which  signified  infamous,  was  added 
to  his  name,  only  to  denote  his  character.  Fazzello  says, 
he  married  his  own  sister,  who  was  called  Rhea;  that 
Ceres  was  the  fruit  of  this  marriage ;  that  she  did  not 
inherit  the  vices  of  her  father,  but  reigned  over  Sicily 
with  great  wisdom  aaid  moderation  ;  that  she  taught  her 
subjects  the  method  of  making  bread  and  wine,  the  mate- 


Sicily  and  Malta,  Q55 

rials  of  which  their  island  produced  spontaneously  in 
great  abundance:  That  her  daughter  Proserpine  was  of 
equal  beauty  and  virtue  with  herself:  That  Orius,  king 
of  Epirus,  had  demanded  her  in  marriage,  and,  on  a  re- 
fusal, had  carried  her  off  by  force  ;  which  gave  occasion 
to  the  wild  imagination  of  Greece  to  invent  the  fable  ol' 
the  rape  of  Proserpine  by  Pluto  king  of  Hell,  this  Orius 
being  of  a  morose  and  gloomy  disposition. 

Ceres  has  ever  been  the  favourite  deity  of  the  Sicilians. 
She  chose  her  seat  of  empire  in  the  centre  of  the  island, 
on  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  called  Enna,  where  she  founded 
the  city  of  that  name.  It  is  still  a  considerable  place, 
and  is  now  called  Castragiovanni ;  but  little  or  nothing 
remains  of  the  ruins  of  Enna. 

Cicero  gives  a  particular  account  of  this  place.  He 
says,  from  its  situation  in  the  centre  of  the  island,  it  was 
called  Umbilicus  Sicilia^  and  describes  it  as  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  and  fertile  spots  in  the  world.  The  temple 
of  Ceres  at  Enna  was  renowned  all  over  the  heathen 
world,  and  pilgrimages  were  made  to  it,  as  they  are  at 
present  to  Loretta.  Eazzello  says,  it  was  held  in  such 
veneration,  that  when  the  city  was  surprised  and  pillaged 
by  the  slaves  and  barbarians,  they  did  not  presume  to 
touch  this  sacred  temple,  although  it  contained  more 
riches  than  all  the  city  besides. 

There  have  been  violent  disputes  amongst  the  Sicilian 
authors,  whether  Proserpine  was  carried  off  near  the  city 
of  Enna,  or  that  of  JLtna,  which  stood  at  the  foot  of  that 
mountain,  but  it  is  of  mighty  little  consequence,  and 
more  respect,  1  think,  is  to  be  paid  to  the  sentiments  of 
Cicero,  who  gives  it  in  favour  of  Enna,  than  the  whole  of 
them.  Diodorus  too  is  of  the  same  opinion,  and  his  de- 
scription of  this  place  is  almost  in  the  very  words  as  that 
of  Cicero.  They  both  paint  it  as  a  perfect  paradise, 
abounding  in  beautiful  groves,  clear  springs  and  rivulets, 
and,  like  ^Etna,  covered  with  a  variety  of  flowers  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year.  To  these  authorities,  if  you  pleascv 
you  may  add  that  of  Milton,  who  compares  it  to  paradisef- 
itself: 

Nor  that  fair  field 
Of  Enna,  where  Proserpine  gathering  floT\'erP, 
Herself  a  fairer  flower,  by  glooiny  Dka 
Was  gathered—     ■■■ 


^S6  A  Tour  through 

If  you  want  to  have  a  fuller  account  of  this  place,  you 
will  find  it  in  Cicero's  pleadings  against  Verres,  and  in 
^he  fifth  book  of  Diodorus. — I  have  conversed  with  seve- 
ral gentlemen  who  have  been  there :  they  assure  me  that 
it  still  answers  in  a  great  measure  to  the  description  of 
these  authors  — Medals,  I  am  told,  are  still  found,  with 
an  elegant  figure  of  Ceres,  and  an  ear  of  wheat  for  the 
reverse  ;  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  procure  any  of  them. 

There  was  another  temple  in  Sicily  not  less  celebrated 
than  this  one  of  Ceres. — It  was  dedicated  to  Venus  Ere- 
eina,  and  like  the  other  too,  was  built  on  the  summit  of 
a  high  mountain.  The  ancient  name  of  this  mountain 
was  Eryx,  or  as  the  Sicilians  call  it,  Erice,  but  it  is  now 
called  St.  Juliano.  Both  mountain  and  temple  are  often 
mentioned  by  the  Greek  and  Latin  historians,  and  hap- 
pily the  Sicilian  ones  have  no  dispute  about  its  situation 
or  origin,  which  they  make  to  be  almost  as  ancient  as 
that  of  Ceres. — Diodorus  says,  that  Dedalus,  after  his 
ilight  from  Crete,  was  hospitably  received  here,  and  by 
his  wonderful  skill  in  architecture  added  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  this  temple.  He  enriched  it  with  many  fine 
pieces  of  sculpture,  but  particularly  with  the  figure  of  a 
ram  of  such  exquisite  workmanship  that  it  appeared  to 
be  alive.    This,  1  think,  is  likewise  mentioned  by  Cicero. 

JEneas  too.  in  his  voyage  from  Troy  to  Italy,  landed  in 
this  part  of  the  island,  and,  according  to  Diodorus  and 
Thucydides,  made  rich  presents  to  this  temple  ;  but  Vir- 
gil is  not  satisfied  with  this ;  he  must  raise  the  piety  of 
his  hero  still  hipjher,  and,  in  opposition  to  all  the  histo- 
rians, makes  ^neas  the  fbunder  of  the  temple.*  Its 
fame  and  glory  continued  to  increase  for  many  ages  ;  and 
it  was  still  held  in  greater  veneration  of  the  Romans, 
than  it  had  been  by  the  Greeks.  Fazzello  says,  and 
quotes  the  authority  of  Strabo,  that  seventeen  cities  of 
Sicily  were  laid  undt^r  tribute  to  raise  a  sufficient  revenue 
to  support  the  dignity  and  enormous  expences  of  this 
temple.  Two  hundred  soldiers  were  appointed  for  its 
gu'U'd,  and  the  number  of  its  priests  and  priestesses,  and 
ministers,  male  and  female,  were  incredible. 


*  Turn  vicina  astris  Eryclno  in  vertice  secle, 
FuTulutur  Venf  ri  Idalix  tumuloqiie  sacerdos, 
TA  lucus  late  facer  addilur  Ancbisa?eo. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  Q37 

At  certain  seasons  of  the  year,"*  great  numbers  of  pi- 
geons, which  were  supposed  to  be  the  attendants  of  Venus, 
used  to  pass  betwixt  Africa  and  Italy ;  and  resting  for 
some  days  en  Mount  Eryx,  and  round  this  temple,  it  was 
then  imagined  by  the  people  that  the  goddess  herself  was 
therein  person;  and  on  these  occasions,  he  says,  they 
worshipped  her  with  all  their  might. — Festivals  were 
instituted  in  honour  of  the  deity,  and  the  most  modest 
woman  was  only  looked  upon  as  a  prude,  that  refused  to 
comply  with  the  rites.  However,  there  were  not  many 
complaints  of  this  kind  ;  and  it  has  been  alledged,  that 
the  ladies  of  Eryx  were  sometimes  looking  out  for  the 
l)igeons  long  before  they  arrived  ;  and  that  they  used  to 
scatter  peas  about  the  temple,  to  make  them  stay  as  long 
as  possible. 

Venus  was  succeeded  in  her  possessions  of  Eryx  by 
St.  Juliano,  who  now  gives  his  nanje  both  to  the  city  and 
mountain  j  and  indeed  he  has  a  very  good  title,  for  when 
the  place  was  closely  besieged,  the  Sicilians  tell  you,  he 
appeared  on  the  walls  armed  cap-^-pie,  and  frightened 
the  eneniy  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  instantly  took  to 
their  heels,  and  lefi  him  ever  since  in  quiet  possession  of 
it  — It  would  have  been  long  before  Venus  and  her  pi- 
geons could  have  done  as  much  for  them. 

Many  medals  are  found  in  the  neighbourhood,  but 
there  is  not  the  least  restige  of  this  celebrated  temple.-— 
Some  marbles  with  inscriptions  and  engravings  that  have 
been  found  deep  below  ground,  are  almost  the  only  re- 
maining monuments  of  its  existence.  Suetonius  says., 
that  it  had  even  fallen  to  ruins  before  the  time  of  Tibe- 
rius ;  but  as  Venus  was  the  favourite  divinity  of  that  em*- 
peror,  he  had  ordered  it  to  be  magnificently  repaired  : 
however,  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  reconcile  this  with 
Strabo's  account ;  who  tells  us,  that  even  before  his  time 
it  had  been  totally  abandoned ;  and  indeed  this  seems  most 
probable,  as  every  vestige  of  it  has  now  disappeared,  which 
is  not  commonly  the  case  with  the  great  works  of  the  age 
of  Tiberius. 

iEneas  landed  at  the  port  of  Drepanum,  at  the  foot  of 
this  mountain.  Here  he  lost  his  father  Anchises ;  in 
honour  of  whom,  on  his  return  from  Carthage  about  a 
year  after,  he  celebrated  the  games  that  make  so  great 
a  figure  in  the  .fineid,  which  Virgil  introduces  with  & 


^38  A  Tour  through 

good  deal  of  address,  as  a  compliment  to  the  piety  of  Au- 
gustus, who  hnd  introduced  games  of  the  same  kind  in 
honour  of  Julius  Caesar,  his  father  by  adoption 

It  is  singular,  ihu  Virgii's  account  of  this  part  of 
Sicily  should  be  so  very  difTcrent  from  that  of  Homer, 
when  there  was  so  short  a  spi.ct-,  only  a  few  months',- 
bt^tween  the  times  that  their  h.  roes  visited  it.  Indeed, 
Virgil  seems  to  have  followed  the  historians,  in  his  con- 
duct of  this  part  of  his  poem,  more  than  the  sentiments 
of  Homer;  who  makes  this  very  country  where  jEneas 
was  so  hospitably  received,  the  habiiation  of  Polyphemus 
and  the  Cyclops,  where  Ulysses  lost  so  many  of  his  com- 
panions, and  hiiDseir  made  so  very  narrow  an  escape. — 
The  island  of  Licosia,  where  he  moored  his  fleei,  lay 
very  near  the  port  of  Drepanum,  and  Homer  describes 
the  adventure  of  Polyphemus  to  have  happened  on  the 
shore  of  Sicily,  opposite  to  that  island.  Virgil  has  taken 
the  liberty  to  change  the  scene  of  action,  as  he  was  bi  iter 
acquainted  both  wiih  the  geography  and  history  of  the 
country  than  Homer;  and,  perhaps  with  a  good  deal  of 
propriety,  places  it  at  the  foot  of  Mount  J£tna.  I  am 
afraid  there  is  not  so  much  propriety  in  his  changing  the 
action  itself,  and  contradicting  the  account  that  Homer 
gives  of  it.  For  Ulysses  says  that  Polyphemus  devoured 
four  of  his  companions  ;  but  that  he,  by  his  address,  saved 
all  the  rest,  and  was  the  last  that  escaped  out  of  the  cave. 
Now  Virgil  makes  Ulysstrs  to  have  told  a  lie,  for  he 
affirms  that  he  left  Achemenides  behind  him  ;  and  Ache- 
menides  too  gives  a  different  account  of  this  affair  from 
Ulysses  :  he  assures  ^Eneas,  that  Polyphemus  devoured 
only  two  of  his  companions  ;  after  which  they  put  out 
his  eye  (acuto  telo)  with  a  shr\rp  weapon ;  which  rather 
gives  the  idea  of  a  spear  or  javelin,  than  that  of  a  great 
beam  of  wood  made  red  hot  in  the  fire,  as  Homer  de- 
scribes it.  But  there  are  many  such  passages. — Don't 
you  think  they  seem  either  to  indicate  a  negligence  in 
Virgil,  or  a  want  of  deference  for  his  master  ?  neither  of 
which,  I  believe,  he  has  ever  been  accused  of. 

The  Sicilian  authors  are  by  no  means  pleased  with 
Virgil  for  making  ^neas  the  founder  of  this  temple  of 
Venus  Erecina.  They  will  only  allow  that  the  colony 
which  he  was  obliged  to  leave  there,  after  the  burning 
of  his  ships,  did,  in  honour  of  his  mother  Venus,  build 


Sicily  and  Malta  fi39 

the  city  of  Eryx  around  her  temple  ;  but  they  all  insist 
upon  it,  tha(  the  temple  was  built  by  Eryx,  or  as  they 
call  hin),  Erice,  anothtr  son  of  Venus,  but  much  older 
than  jEnf  us ;  the  same  that  was  found  to  be  ^o  '  qual  a 
match  for  Hercules,  bui  was  at  last  killed  by  hiiT,  at  a 
boxing  match  near  the  foot  of  this  mountain.  The  spot 
where  this  is  supposed  to  have  happentd,  still  retains 
the  name  of  {il  camfio  di  Hcrcole)  the  field  of  Herculee. 
Through  the  whole  fifth  b.jok  of  the  jEueid,  this  Eryx 
is  styled  the  brother  of  jEn^as  ;  and,  in  his  account  of 
the  games^  Virgil  introduces  those  very  gauntlets  with 
which  he  fought  with  Hercules  (m  hoc  ipso  lit  tore)  in 
this  very  field ;  the  sight  of  which,  from  their  enormous 
size,  astonishes  the  whole  host,  and  frightens  the  cham- 
pion Dares  so  much  that  he  refuses  to  fight. 

Adieu.     The  opera  begins  in  two  days ;  after  which,  I 
think,  we  shall  soon  take  leave  of  Sicily. 

Ever  yours. 


LETTER  XXXII. 

Palermo f  July  21. 

YESTERDAY  we  walked  up  to  the  Monte  Pele- 
grii)o  to  pay  our  repsects  to  St.  Rosolia,  and  thank 
her  for  the  variety  of  entertainment  she  has  afforded  us. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  fatiguing  expeuitions  1  ever  niade 
in  my  life.  The  mountain  is  extremely  high,  and  so 
unconvmonly^  steep,  that  the  road  up  to  it  is  very  properly 
termed /a  Scaia,  or  the  Stair;  before  the  discovery  of 
St.  Rosolia,  it  was  looked  upon  as  almost  inaccessible,  but 
they  have  now,  at  a  vast  expence.  cut  out  a  road  over 
precipices  that  were  almost  perpendicular.  VVe  found 
the  saint  lying  in  her  grotto,  in  the  very  same  attitude  in 
which  she  is  said  to  have  been  discovered ;  her  head 
reclining  gently  upon  her  hand,  and  a  crucifix  before  her. 
This  is  a  statue  of  the  finpsi  white  marble,  and  of  the  most 
exquisite  woikmanship.  It  is  piaceci  i>i  the  inner  part 
of  the  cavern,  on  the  very  same  spot  waere  St.  Rosolia 


MO  A  Tour  through 

expired.  It  is  the  figure  of  a  lovely  young  girl  of  aboi5t 
fifteen  in  the  act  of  devotion.  The  artist  has  found  means 
to  throw  something  that  is  extremely  touching  into  the 
countenance  and  air  of  this  beautiful  statue.  I  never  in 
my  life  saw  one  that  affected  me  so  much,  and  am  not 
surprised  that  it  should  have  captivated  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  It  is  covered  with  a  robe  of  beaten  gold,  and  is 
adorned  with  some  valuable  jewels.  The  cave  is  of  a 
considerable  extent,  and  extremely  damp,  so  that  the 
poor  little  saint  must  have  had  very  cold  uncomfortable 
quarters.  They  have  built  a  church  around  it ;  and 
appointed  priests  to  watch  over  these  precious  relics,  and 
receive  the  offerings  of  pilgrims  that  visit  them. 

An  inscription  graved  by  the  hand  of  St.  Rosalia  her- 
self, was  found  in  a  cave  in  Mount  Quesquina,  at  a  consi- 
derable distance  from  this  mountain.  It  is  said  that  she 
was  disturbed  in  her  retreat  there,  and  had  wandered 
from  thence  to  Mount  Pelegrino,  as  a  more  retired  and 
inaccessible  place.  I  shall  copy  it  exactly,  as  it  is  pre- 
served in  the  poor  little  saini's  own  Latin. 

EGO  ROSOLIA 

SIXIB  \LDI  QUISQUI- 

NE  E T  ROSARUM 

DOMINI  FILIA,   AMORE 

DEI  ME  I  JESU 

CHRISTI, 

IN  HOC 

ANTRO  HA  BIT  A- 

Rl  DECREVI. 

After  St.  Rosolia  was  scared  from  the  cave  where  this 
inscription  was  found,  she  was  never  more  heard  of, 
till  lier  bones  were  found  about  five  himdred  years  after, 
in  this  spot. 

The  prospect  from  the  top  of  Mount  Pelegrino  is 
beautiful  and  extensive.  Most  of  the  Lip?\ri  islands  are 
discovered  in  a  very  clear  day,  and  likewise  a  large  por- 
tion of  Mount  iEtna,  although  at  the  distance  of  almost 
the  whole  length  of  Sicily.  The  Bagaria  tor,  and  the 
Colle,  covered  over  wth  a  number  f«f  fine  country  houses 
and  gardens,  make  a  beautiful  appearance.  The  city 
of  Palermo  stands  within  less  than  two  miles  of  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  and  is  seen  to  great  advantage. — 
Many  people  went  to  this  mountain  during  the  lime  of 


Slcilij  and  Malta.  241 

the  great  illumination  ;   from  whence  ihey  pretend  it  has 
a  fine  effect ;  but  this  unfortunately  we  necjlected. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  mountain,  and  not  far  from  its 
summit,  there  still  appears  some  remains  of  a  celebra- 
ted castle,  the  origin  of  which  the  Sicilian  authors  carry 
back  to  the  most  remote  antiquity.  Massa  says,  it  is 
supposed  to  have  been  built  by  Saturn  immediately  after 
the  flood;  for  in  the  time  of  the  earliest  Carthaginian 
wars,  it  was  always  much  respected  on  account  of  its 
venerable  antiquity. — It  was  then  a  place  of  strength,  and 
is  often  mentioned  by  the  Greek  historians.  Diodorus 
says,  in  his  twenty-third  book,  that  Hamilcar  kept  pos- 
session of  it  for  three  years,  against  all  the  power  of  the 
Romans ;  who  with  an  army  of  forty  thousand  men, 
attempted  in  vain  to  dislodge  him. 

The  situation  of  Palermo  is  seen,  I  think,  to  more  ad- 
vantage from  the  Monte  Pelcgrino  than  from  any  where 
else.  This  beaudful  city  siunds  near  the  extremity  of  a 
kind  of  natural  anriphitheatre,  foimed  by  high  and  rocky 
mountains;  but  the  country  that  lies  be»wixt  the  city  ^^nd 
these  mountains,  i^  one  of  the  richest  and  most  beautiful 
spots  in  the  world.  The  whole  appears  a  magnificent 
garden,  filled  With  fruit  trees  of  every  ^p  cies,  and  water- 
ed by  clear  fountains  and  rivulets,  that  fcrm  a  variety  of 
windings  through  this  delightful  plain.  From  the  singu- 
larity of  this  situation,  as  woil  as  from  the  richness  of  the 
soil,  Palermo  has  had  many  flattering  epitheis  bestowed 
upon  it ;  p irticularly  by  the  poets,  who  hi-ve  denominated 
it  Conca  cl'oro,  \hf  Goldtn  Shell,  which  is  yt  rnce  ex- 
pressive both  of  its  situation  and  richness.  It  has  likewise 
been  styled  .4ur-ea  Valle.  Horius  Siciifa,  Ij'c  ;  and  to  in- 
clude all  these  together,  the  lasting  trrm  of  Felix  hus 
been  added  toils  name,  by  which  ycu  will  find  it  dii^lin- 
giiished  in  the  m^ps, 

ISI  inv  of  the  etymologists  allege,  that  it  is  f-om  the 
richness  of  this  valley  that  it  liad  its  ori':.':in:'l  n<  me  of 
Fanor^nu.^y  which,  in  the  old  Gr-^ek  langujgc,  they  pre- 
tend, sig'.iified  All  a  gardon  :  but  others  say  there  is  no 
occasion  for  stiaining  significa  ions,  and  assert,  with  n^ore 
appearance  of  plausibility,  »hcit  it  was  railed  Panormus 
from  the  size  and  conve-tiiency  of  its  harbours;  cue  of 
which  is  recorded  ancit-ntly  t-)  have  extended  to  the  very 
centre  of  the  city.  And  this  is  the  account  Diodorus 
Y 


2t4^  A  Tour  through 

gives  of  It:  it  was  called  Panormus,  says  he,  because  its 
harbour  even  penetrated  to  the  very  innermost  pans  of 
the  city;  Panormus  in  the  Greek  language  signifying  All 
a  port.  And  Procopius,  in  his  history  of  the  wars  of  the 
Goths,  assures  us,  that  in  the  time  of  Belisarius,  the  port 
was  deep  enough  for  that  general  to  run  his  ships  up  to 
the  very  walls  of  the  city,  and  give  the  assault  from  them. 
It  is  not  now  so  well  entitled  to  this  name  as  it  was  former- 
ly. These  harbours  have  been  aln.ost  entirely  destroyed 
and  filled  up  ;  most  probably  I  thmk  by  the  violent  tor- 
rents from  the  mountains  that  surround  it;  which  are 
recorded  sometimes  to  have  laid  waste  great  part  of  the 
city.  Fazzello  speaks  of  an  inundation  of  which  he  was 
an  eye-witness,  that  came  dov/n  iVom  the  mountains  with 
such  fury,  that  they  thought  the  city  would  have  been  en- 
tirely swept  away.  He  says,  it  burst  down  the  wall  near  to 
the  royal  palace,  and  bore  away  every  thing  that  opposed 
its  passage ;  churches,  convents,  houses,  to  the  number 
of  two  thousand,  and  drowned  upwards  of  three  thousand 
people.— Now  the  fragments  and  ruins  carried  to  the  sea 
by  such  a  torrent  alone,  would  be  sufficient  to  fill  up  a  little 
harbour,  so  that  we  are  not  to  be  surprised,  thtt  these 
capacious  ports,  for  which  it  had  been  so  nTuch  celebrated, 
no  longer  exist. 

Next  to  Chamefeno,  Palermo  is  generally  supposed  to 
be  the  most  ancient  city  in  the  island.  Indeed  there  still 
remain  some  monuments  that  cany  back  its  origin  to  the 
most  remote  antiquity.  A  bishop  of  Lucera  has  wrote 
on  this  subject.  He  is  clearly  of  opinion,  that  Palermo 
was  founded  in  the  days  of  the  first  patriarchs.  You  will 
laugh  at  this  ; — so  did  I ;  but  the  bishop  does  not  go  to 
work  upon  conjecture  only  :  he  supports  his  own  opinion 
with  such  proofs,  as,  I  own  to  you.  staggered  me  a  good 
deal  A  Chtildean  inscription  was  discovered  about  six 
hundred  years  a.e:o,  on  a  block  of  white  naible  ;  it  was  in 
the  reign  of  William  II.  who  ordered  it  to  be  translated 
into  Latin  and  Italian.  The  bishop  says,  iheie  are  niany 
fragments  in  Palermo,  with  broken  inscriptions  in  this 
language  ;  and  seems  to  think  it  beyond  a  dtmbt,  that  the 
city  was  founded  bv  the  Chaldeans  in  the  very  early  ages 
of  the  world.  This  is  the  literal  translation: — "  During 
the  time  that  Isaac,  the  son  of  Abraham,  reigned  in  the 
valley  of  Damascus,  and  Esau,  the  son  of  Isaac,  in  Idu- 


Sicily  and  Malta,  S43 

mea,  a  great  multitude  of  Hebrews,  accompanied  by  many 
of  the  people  of  Damascus,  and  many  Phenicians,  coming 
iii-o  this  triangular  island,  took  up  their  habitation  in 
this  most  beautiful  place,  to  which  they  gave  the  name 
of  Panormus." 

The  bishop  translates  another  Chaldean  inscription, 
which  is  indeed  a  great  curiosity.  It  is  still  preserved, 
though  not  with  that  care  that  so  valuable  a  monument 
of  antiquity  deserves  It  is  placed  over  one  of  the  old 
gates  of  the  city,  and  when  that  gate  f.dls  to  ruin,  it  will 
probably  be  for  ever  lost.     The  translation  is  in  Latin, 

but  I  shall  give  it  to  you  in  English: "  There  is  no 

other  God  but  one  God.  There  is  no  o  her  power  but 
this  same  God.  There  is  no  other  conqueror  but  this 
God  whom  we  adore.  The  commander  ot  this  tower  is 
Saphu,  the  son  of  Rliphar,  son  of  Esau,  brother  of  Jacob, 
son  of  Isaac,  son  of  Abraham.  The  nL\me  of  the  tower  is 
Baych,and  the  name  of  the  neighbouring  lower  is  Pharet." 

These  two  inscriptions  seem  to  reflect  a  muiual  light 
upin  each  other.  Fazzello  has  preserved  them  both, 
and  remarks  upon  this  last,  that  it  appears  evidently  from 
it,  that  the  tower  of  Baych  was  built  antecedent  to  the 
lime  of  Saphu.  (or,  as  we  translate  it,  Zv  phu),  uho  is  only 
mentioned  as  commander  of  this  tower,  but  r.ot  as  its 
founder. 

Part  of  the  ruins  of  this  tower  still  remain,  and  many 
more  Chaldean  inscripti<»ns  have  been  found  amongst' 
them,  but  so  br  .ken  and  mangled  that  little  could  be 
made  of  them.  Fazzc^llo  is  in  great  indignation  at  some 
masons  he  found  demolishing  these  precious  relic?,  r.nd 
complains  bitterly  of  it  to  the  senate,  whom  he  with  jus- 
tice upbraids  for  their  negligence  and  indifference. 

Conversing  on  this  subject  t'other  night  with  a  gen- 
tleman who  is  well  versed  in  the  antiquities  of  this  place, 
I  took  the  liberiv  of  objecting  to  the  Greek  etymology, 
Pan-ormus,  it  appearing  extremely  absurd  to  give  a  Greek 
name  to  the  city  long  before  the  existence  of  the  Greek 
nation:  I  added,  that  I  was  a  good  deal  surprised  Fazzello 
had  not  attempted  to  account  for  this  seeming  absurdity. 
He  allowed  the  apparent  validity  of  the  objection,  and 
blamed  Fazzello  for  his  negligence  ;  but  assured  me,  that 
Pan-ormus,  or  something  very  nearly  of  the  same  sound, 
signified  in  the  Chaldean  language,  and  likewise  in  th^ 


:244  A  Tour  through 

, Hebrew,  a  paradise  or  delicious  garden  ;  and  that  the 
Greeks  probably  finding  it  so  applicable,  never  thought  of 
changing  its  name.  This  I  was  in  no  capacity  to  contra- 
dict— He  added  too,  that  Pan-ormus  was  likewise  an 
Ara!)ic  word  and  signified  This  water;  which  probably 
was  the  reason  that  the  Saracens  did  not  change  its  nanne, 
as  they  have  done  that  of  almost  every  thing  else  ;  as 
this  is  as  applicable  and  as  expressive  of  the  situation  of 
Palermo,  as  any  of  the  other  etvmologies  ;  it  being  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  with  beautiful  fountains  of  the  purest 
water,  the  natural  consequence  of  the  vicinity  of  the 
mountains. 

Pray  shew  this  letter  to  our  friend  Mr.  Crofts,  and 
desire  his  sentiments  on  these  etymologies  and  aniiqui- 
ties.  Tell  him  I  have  not  forgot  his  commission,  and 
shall  procure  him  all  the  oldest  and  most  uninteligible 
books  in  Palermo;  but  I  must  beg,  for  the  repose  and 
tranquility  of  mankind,  that  he  will  not  republish  them. 
On  these  conditions,  I  send  him  a  most  valuable  frag- 
ment:  it  is  pnrt  '  f  a  Chaldean  inscription  that  has  been 
exactly  copied  from  a  bl>ck  of  white  marble  found  in  the 
ruins  of  the  tower  Baych  — I  own  I  should  like  much  to 
see  it  translated ;  the  people  here  have  as  yet  made  noth- 
ing of  it ;  and  we  were  in  no  capacity  to  assist  them. 

Adieu.  The  weather  has  become  exceeding  hot.  The 
thermometer  is  at  80.  Ever  yours. 


LETTER  XXXIIT. 

Palermo,  July  24. 

IN  the  course  of  our  acquaintance  with  some  gentlemen 
of  sense  and  observation  in  this  place,  we  have  learned 
manv  things  concerning  the  island,  that  perhaps  may  be 
worthy  of  vour  attention ;  and  this  day  is  so  hot  ih  tt  I  can- 
not go  out,  I  shall  endeavour  to  recollect  son.e  of  them, 
both  for  your  amusement,  and  my  own  The  thermo- 
meter is  up  at  81^. — So  you  may  judge  of  the  situation  of 
our  northern  constitutions. 


SicUij  and  Malta.  245 

There  is  one  thinij,  however,  that  I  have  always  ob- 
served in  these  southern  climates;  that  although  the  de- 
gree of  heat  is  much  greater  than  with  us,  yet  it  is  not 
commonly  attended  with  that  weight  and  oppression  of 
spirits  that  generally  accompany  our  sultry  days  in  sum- 
mer.— I  am  sure,  that  in  such  a  day  as  this,  in  England, 
we  should  be  panting  for  breath  ;  and  no  mortal  would 
think  either  of  reading  or  writing.  That  is  net  the  case 
here ;  I  never  was  in  better  spirits  in  my  life:  indeed  I 
believe  the  quantities  of  ice  v/e  eat  may  contribute  a  good 
deal  towards  it;  for  I  find,  that  in  a  very  violent  heat, 
there  is  no  such  cordial  to  the  spirits  as  ice,  or  a  draught 
of  ice-vvater:  it  is  not  only  from  the  cold  it  communicates, 
but,  like  the  cold  bath,  from  the  suddenness  of  that  com- 
munication, it  braces  the  stomach,  and  gives  a  new  tone 
to  the  fibres. — It  is  strange  that  this  piece  of  luxury  (in 
my  opinion  the  greatest  of  all  and  perhaps  the  only  healthy 
one)  should  still  be  so  much  neglected  with  us. 

I  knew  an  English  lady  at  Nice,  who  in  a  short  time 
was  cured  of  a  threatening  consumption,  only  by  a  free 
indulgence  in  the  use  of  ices ;  and  I  am  persuaded,  that 
in  skilful  hands,  few  remedies  would  be  more  effectual 
in  many  of  our  stomach  and  inflammatory  complaints  as 
hardly  any  thing  has  a  stronger  or  more  immediate  eifect 
upon  the  whole  frame  ;  and  surely  our  administering  of 
warm  drinks  and  potions  in  these  complaints  tend  often 
to  nourish  the  disease. — It  is  the  common  practice  here, 
in  inflimmatory  fevers-  to  give  quantities  of  ice-water  to 
drink  ;  nay,  so  far  have  they  carried  it,  that  Dr.  Sanghes, 
a  celebriktcd  Sicilian  physician,  covered  'over  the  breast 
and  belly  of  his  patients  with  snow  or  ice;  and  they  as- 
sure us,  in  many  cases,  with  great  success. — But  indeed 
I  ought  in  justice  to  add,  that  this  physician's  practice 
has  nvt  been  generally  adopted. 

Perhaps  it  is  from  the  present  benefit  I  find  from  icC) 
that  I  h  ivc  said  so  much  in  favour  of  it ;  for  I  am  fully 
persuaded,  that  if  I  had  not  a  quantity  of  it  standing  htre 
below  the  table,  I  should  very  soon  be  obliged  to  give  up 
writing,  and  go  to  bed ;  but  whenever  I  begin  to  flag, 
another  glass  is  sure  to  set  me  to  lights  again. 

I  was  going  to  give  you  some  account  of  the  fisheries 
of  this  island. 

The  catching  the  tunny-fish  consuiutes  one  of  the  prin- 
Y  2 


Q46  A  Tour  ihrous^h 


':=>' 


cip^l  Sicilian  amusements  daring  the  summer-months  : 
and  the  curing  and  sending  them  to  foreign  markets 
makes  one  of  the  greatest  branches  of  their  commerce. 
W^e  were  invited  yesterday  by  the  Prince  Sperlinga  to  a 
party  of  tunny-fishing  ;  but  the  violence  of  the  heat  pre- 
vented it. 

These  fish  do  not  make  their  appearance  in  the  Sicilian 
seas  till  towards  the  latter  end  of  May  ;  at  which  time, 
the  Tonnarosj  as  they  call  them,  are  prepared  for  their 
reception.  This  is  a  kind  of  aquatic  castle,  formed,  at  a 
great  expence,  of  strong  nets,  fastened  to  the  bottom  of 
the  sea,  by  anchors  and  heavy  leaden  weights. 

These  tonnaros  are  erected  in  the  passages  amongst 
the  rocks  and  islands  that  are  most  frequented  by  the  tun- 
ny-fish. They  take  care  to  shut  up  with  nets  the  entry  in^ 
to  these  passages,  all  but  one  little  opening,which  is  cal- 
led the  outward  gate  of  the  tonnaro.  This  leads  into  the 
first  apartment,  or  as  they  call  it,  the  hall.  As  soon  as  the 
fish  have  got  into  the  hall,  the  fishermen,  who  stand  sentry 
in  their  boats  during  the  season,  shut  the  outer  door, 
which  is  no  more  than  letting  down  a  small  piece  of  net, 
which  effectually  prevent  the  tunny  from  returning  by  the 
way  they  came.  They  then  open  the  inner  door  of  the 
hall,  which  leads  to  the  second  apartment,  which  they  call 
the  anti-chamber,  and,  by  making  a  noise  on  the  surface  of 
of  the  water,  they  soon  drive  the  tunny-fish  into  it.  As 
soon  as  the  whole  have  got  into  the  anti-chamber,  the  in- 
ner door  of  the  hall  is  again  shut,  and  the  outer  door  is 
opened  for  the  reception  of  more  company. 

Some  tonnaros  have  a  great  number  of  apartments, 
with  diff'erent  names  to  them  all ;  the  saloon,  the  parlour, 
the  dining-room,  &c.  but  the  last  apartment  is  always 
styled  La  Camera  della  Morte,  the  chamber  of  death  : 
this  is  composed  of  stronger  nets  and  heavier  anchors 
than  the  other. 

As  soon  as  they  have  collected  a  sufficient  number  of 
tunny-fish,  they  are  driven  from  all  the  other  apartments 
into  the  chamber  of  death  :  when  the  slaughter  begins. 
The  fishermen,^and  often  the  gentlemen  too,  armed  with 
a  kind  of  spear  or  harpoon,  attack  the  poor,  defenceless 
animal  on  all  sides  ;  which  now  giving  themselves  up  to 
''despair,  dash  about  with  great  force  and  agility,  throwing 
the  water  over  all  the  boats  j  and  tearing  the  nets  to  pie- 


Sicily  and  Malta.  Q47 

ces :  they  often  knock  out  their  brains  against  the  rocks 
or  anchors,  and  sometimes  even  against  the  boats  of  their 
enemies. 

You  see  there  is  nothing  very  generous  or  manly  in 
this  sport. — The  taking  of  the  Pesce  S/iaday  or  sword- 
fish,  is  a  much  more  noble  diversion  :  no  art  is  made  use 
of  to  ensnare  him  ;  but  with  a  small  harpoon,  fixed  to  a 
long  line,  they  attack  him  in  the  open  seas,  and  will  often 
strike  him  at  a  very  considerable  distance — It  is  exactly 
the  whale  fishing  in  miniature.  The  Sicilian  fishermen 
(who  are  abundantly  superstitious)  have  a  great  sentence 
which  they  make  use  of  as  a  charm  to  bring  him  near 
their  boats.  This  is  the  only  bait  they  use,  and  they  pre- 
tend that  it  is  of  wonderful  efficacy,  and  absolutely  obliges 
him  to  follow  them  ;  but  if  unfortunately  he  shouid  over- 
hear them  speak  a  word  of  Italian,  he  plunges  under  wa- 
ter immediately,  and  will  appear  no  more. 

As  these  fish  are  commonly  of  a  great  size  and  strength, 
they  will  sometimes  run  for  hours  after  they  are  struck, 
and  afford  excellent  sport. — I  have  seen  them  with  a  sword 
four  or  five  feet  long,  which  gives  them  a  formidable  ap- 
pearance in  the  water,  particularly  after  they  are  wound- 
ed. The  fl-3sh  of  these  animals  is  excellent ;  it  is  more 
like  beef  than  fish,  and  the  common  way  of  dressing  it 
is  in  steaks. 

The  fishing  of  the  Pesce  S/iada  is  most  considerable  in 
the  sea  of  Messina,  wli-cre  they  have  likewise  great  quan- 
tities of  eels,  particularly  the  Morena^  so  much  esteemed 
amongst  the  Romans,  which  I  think  is  indeed  the  finest 
fish  I  ever  eat. 

But  it  is  not  only  their  large  fish  that  they  strike  with 
harpoons  ;  they  have  the  same  method  of  taking  mullet, 
dories,  a  kind  of  mackrel,  and  many  other  species  ;  but 
this  is  always  p.rformed  in  the  night — As  soon  as  it 
is  dark,  two  men  get  into  a  small  boat ;  one  of  them  holds 
a  lighted  torch  over  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  other 
stands  with  his  harpoon  ready  poised  in  his  hand.  The 
light  of  the  torch  soon  brings  the  fish  to  the  surface, 
when  the  harpooner  immedijtely  strikes  them.  I  have 
seen  great  quantities  killed  in  this  manner,  both  here 
and  at  Nuples.  A  large  fleet  of  boats  employed  in  this 
kind  of  fishing  makes  a  beautiful  appearance  on  the  water, 
in  a  fins  summer  night. 


^48  A  Tour  through 

The  coral  fishery  is  chiefly  practised  at  Trapani ;  ihey 
have  invented  a  machine  there,  which  answers  the  pur- 
pose much  beyond  their  expectations.  This  is  only  a 
great  cross  of  wood,  to  the  centre  of  which  is  fixed  a 
heavy  hard  stone,  capable  of  carrying  the  cross  to  the  bot- 
tom. Pieces  of  small  net  are  tied  to  each  limb  of  the 
cross,  which  is  poized  horizontally  by  a  rope,  and  let  down 
into  the  water.  As  soon  as  they  feel  it  touch  the  bottom, 
the  rope  is  made  fast  to  the  boat.  They  then  row  about 
all  over  the  coral  beds;  the  consequence  of  which  is,  the 
great  stone  breaks  off  the  coral  from  the  rocks,  and  it  is 
immediately  entangled  in  the  nets  Since  this  invention 
the  coral  fishery  has  turned  out  to  considerable  account. 

The  people  of  Trapani  are  esteemed  the  most  ingen- 
ious of  the  island  ;  they  are  the  authors  of  many  useful 
and  ornamental  inventions.  An  artist  there  has  lately 
discovered  a  method  of  making  Cameios,  which  are  a 
perfect  imitation  of  the  ancient  ones  engraved  on  the 
onyx.  They  are  done  on  a  kind  of  hard  shell  from  pastes 
of  the  best  antiques,  and  so  adiiiirably  executed,  tliat  it  is 
often  difficult  to  distinguish  the  ancient  from  the  modern. 
These  set  in  gold  are  generally  worn  as  bracelets,  and  are 
at  present  in  high  estimation  amongst  the  ladies  of  qual- 
ity here.  Mrs.  Hamilton*  procured  a  pair  of  them  last 
year,  and  carried  them  to  Naples,  where  they  have  been 
much  admired.  Commissions  were  immediately  sent 
over,  and  the  man  has  now  more  business  than  he  can 
manage  :  however,  we  have  been  fortunate  enough  to 
procure  a  few  pair  of  them  for  our  friends.  I  have  seen 
cameios  that  have  cost  two  hundred  guineas,  that  could 
scarce  be  distinguished  from  one  of  these. 

The  difficulties  under  which  the  poor  Sicilians  labour, 
from  the  extreme  oppression  of  their  government,  obliges 
them  sometimes  to  invent  branches  of  commerce  that  na- 
ture seems  to  have  denied  them,  as  they  are  not  allowed 
to  enjoy  those  she  has  bestowed.  The  sugi^r-cane  was 
very  much  cultivated  in  this  ishnd,  but  the  duiies  imposed 
were  so  enormous,  that  it  has  been  almost  abandoned  — 
But  their  crops  of  wheat  alone,  were  they  under  a  free 
government,  would  soon  be  sufficient  to  »enderthis  little 
nation  one    of  the  richest  and  most  flourishing  in  the 

♦  Now  Lady  Hamilton. 


Sicily  and  Malta.  249 

world  ;  for  even  in  the  wretched  state  of  cultivation  it  is 
in  at  present,  one  good  crop.  I  am  told,  is  sufficient  to 
maintain  the  island  for  seven  years.  Ycm  will  be  a  good 
deal  surprised,  after  this,  to  hear  that  the  exportation  of 
this  commodity  has  been  prohibited  for  these  several 
years  p-ast ;  at  least  to  all  such  as  are  not  able  to  pay  most 
exorbitantly  for  that  privilege.  The  consequence  is,  that 
corn  has  become  a  drug.  The  common  price  of  the  Sal- 
ma,  which  is  two  loads,  was  about  thirty-one  shillings; 
at  present  it  is  reduced  to  five  shillings  and  sixpence,  and 
there  is  a  probability  that  it  will  still  fall  lower. 

This  crop,  which  has  been  very  abundant,  I  am  told,  in 
many  places  they  have  hardly  been  at  the  pains  to  gather 
in,  as  there  is  little  probability  of  this  cruel  prohibition 
being  removed.  The  farmers  are  already  ruined,  and  the 
ruin  of  their  masters  must  inevitably  follow.  This  is  the 
method  the  ministry  of  Naples,  or  rather  that  of  Spain, 
has  taken  to  humble  the  pride  of  the  Sicilian  barons, 
whose  power,  they  pretend,  is  still  very  extensive,  and 
their  jurisdiction  absolute;  most  of  them  pcsi-essing  a 
right  of  life  and  death  in  their  own  don^ain.  However, 
there  is  a  probability  that  they  will  soon  be  obliged  to  re^ 
linquish  their  privileges.  The  complaint  is  universal, 
and  if  the  ministry  persevere  in  these  rigorous  measures, 
there  must  be  either  a  revolt,  or  they  nsust  soon  be  redu- 
ced to  a  state  of  poverty  as  well  as  of  servitude.  I  be- 
lieve, indeed,  most  of  them  would  rear^ily  embrace  any 
plausible  scheme,  to  shake  off  their  yoke  ;  as  in  general 
they  appear  to  be  people  of  great  sensibility,  with  high 
notions  of  honour  and  liberty. 

T;dking  of  the  ratu^al  riches  of  their  island. — Yes,  say 
tlie^'',  if  these  ^vere  di"^plaved,  you  would  have  reason  in- 
deed 10  speak  of  them.  T  .ke  a  look  of  these  mountains, 
— tliey  coniain  rich  vein^  of  every  metal,  and  many  of 
the  Roman  mines  still  remain  : — but  to  what  end  should 
we  explore  them  ? — It  is  not  we  that  should  reap  the  pro- 
fit.  Nay,  a  discovery  of  any  thing  very  rich  might  pos- 
sibly p'-ove  the  ruin  of  its  possessor. — No, — in  our  present 
situation  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  island  must  ever  re- 
main a  profound  secret. — Were  we  happy  enough  to  en- 
joy the  blessings  of  your  constitution,  you  might  call  us 
rich  indeed.  Many  hidden  doors  of  opulence  would  then 
be  opened,  which  now  are  not  even  thought  of,  and  we 


Q50  A  Tour  through 

should  soon  re-assume  our  aicient  name  and  consequence ; 
but  at  present  we  are  nothing. 

This  is  the  lang^uapje  that  some  of  the  first  people 
amongst  them  hold  with  us.  However,  they  still  boast 
that  thev  retain  more  of  the  feud  il  government  than  any 
nation  in  Europe.  The  shadow  indeed  remains,  but  the 
substance  is  gone  long  ago.  It  has  long  been  the  object 
of  the  Bourbon  ministry  to  reduce  the  power  of  the  barons 
in  every  kingdom  Richlieu began  the  system  in  France, 
and  it  has  ever  since  been  prosecuted  by  his  successors  ; 
its  influence  has  now  spread  over  the  whole  of  their  pos- 
sessions in  Europe;  of  which,  as  this  is  the  most  remote, 
it  has  likewise  been  the  longest  in  reaching  it. 

The  found  \rion  of  the  feudal  system  was  first  laid  here 
by  the  count  Rngiero,  about  the  middle  of  the  eleventh 
century,  immediately  after  he  had  driven  the  Saracans 
out  of  the  island.  He  divided  Sicilv  into  three  parts; 
the  first, bv  consent  of  his  army,  was  given  to  the  church  ; 
the  second  hebestovvid  upon  his  officers,  and  the  third  he 
reserved  for  himself. 

Of  these  three  branches,  or  as  they  call  them  Braccics, 
(arms,)  he  composed  his  parliament,  the  form  of  which 
remains  the  same  to  this  day.  The  Braccio  Militare  is 
composed  of  all  the  barons  of  the  kingdom,  to  the  num- 
ber of  two  h\indred  and  fifty-one,  who  are  still  obliged  to 
military  service  :  their  chief  is  the  prince  Butero,  who  is 
hereditary  president  of  the  parliament :  for  in  conformi- 
ty to  the  genius  of  the  feudal  government,  some  of  the 
great  officers  are  still  hereditary.  The  three  archbishops, 
all  the  bishops,  abbes,  priors,  and  dignified  clergy,  a- 
mounting  to  near  seventy,  Corm  the  Braccio  Ecclesiasdco  ; 
the  archbishop  of  Palermo  is  their  chief.  The  Braccio 
Demaniale  is  formed  by  election,  like  our  houses  of  com- 
mons :  there  are  forty-three  royal  cities,  styled  Demani- 
alcy  that  have  a  right  to  elect  members  Every  house- 
holder had  a  vote  in  this  election.  Their  chief  is  the 
member  for  Palermo  ;  who  is  likewise  praetor  (or  mayor 
of  the  city.)  He  is  an  officer  of  the  highest  rank,  and  his 
power  is  very  extensive ;  inferior  only  to  that  of  the  vice- 
roy, in  whose  absence,  the  greatest  part  of  the  authority 
devolves  upon  him.  He  has  a  company  of  grenadiers  for 
his  body  guard ;  and  receives  the  title  of  excellency. 

The  praetor,  together  with  six  senators,  who  are  styled 


Sicily  and  Malta,  251 

patricians,  have  the  mapagement  of  the  civil  government 
of  the  city.  He  is  appointed  every  year,  by  the  king,  or 
by  the  viceroy,  which  is  the*same  thing;  for  I  dont  find 
that  the  people  any  longer  exercise  even  the  form  of  giv- 
ing their  votes :  so  that  the  very  shadow  of  libert)  has 
now  disappeared  as  well  as  the  substance  You  may 

judge  of  the  situation  of  liberty  in  a  kingdom,  where  all 
courts  civil  and  criminal  are  appointed  by  regal  authority, 
and  where  all  offices  are  conferred  only  by  the  will  of  the 
sovereign,  and  depend  entirely  upon  his  caprice. 

I  own  I  feel  most  sincerely  for  the  Sicilians,  who,  I 
think,  arc  possessed  of  many  admir<  ble  qualities.  But 
the  spirit  of  every  nation  must  infallibly  sink,  under  an 
oppressive  and  tyrannical  governmert.  Their  spirit, 
however,  has  in  a  great  measure  kept  them  free  from  one 
branch  of  tyranny,  the  most  dreadful  of  all,  that  of  the 
inquisition  The  kings  of  Spain  wanted  to  establish  it  in 
its  full  force  ;  but  the  barons,  accusiom.ed  to  exercise  des- 
potic government  themselves,  could  not  bear  the  thoughts 
of  becoming  slaves  to  a  set  of  ignoi  ant  Spanish  priests  : 
and,  I  believe,  they  took  the  only  way  that  was  left  to 
avoid  it.  Every  inquisitor  that  pretended  to  more  zeal 
than  they  thought  became  hin.,  was  immediately  assassi- 
nated ;  particularly  if  he  presumed  to  intei  fere  with  the 
conduct  or  sentiments  of  the  nobility.  This  soon  took  off 
the  edge  of  their  zeal,  and  reduced  the  holy  office  to  a  be- 
coming moderation  H(jwever,  they  are  extremely  cir- 
cumspect in  their  conversation  about  religious  matters  ; 
and  generally  advise  strangers  to  be  on  their  guard,  as  the 
power  of  the  inquisition,  although  considerably  reduced, 
is  by  no  means  annihilated. 

The  laws  of  Sicily  are  scattered  in  a  great  number  of 
volumes  ;  these  the  king  r:f  Sardinia  intended  to  abridge, 
and  collect  into  one  code,  but  unfortunately  he  was  not 
long  enough  in  the  island  to  accomplish  this  useful  work. 
But  where  there  is  an  authority  above  all  laws,  laws  can 
be  but  of  little  service. 

The  power  of  the  viceroy  is  very  absolute  ;  he  has  not 
only  the  command  of  all  the  military  force  in  the  king- 
dom, but  likewise  presides  with  unbounded  authority  in 
all  civil  tribunals  ;  and  as  he  is  also  invested  with  the  le- 
gamine  power,  his  sway  is  equally  great  in  religious  mat- 
ters. 


^5^  A  Tour  through 

He  has  the  right  of  nominating  to  all  the  great  offices 
in  the  kingdom  ;  and  confirming  of  all  dignities,  both 
civil  and  ecclesiastical. 

In  visiting  the  prisons,  a  ceremony  which  he  performs 
with  great  pomp  twice  a-year,  he  has  the  power  of  libera- 
ting whatever  prisoners  he  pleases;  of  reducing  or  alter- 
ing their  sentences,  their  crimes  and  accusations  having 
first  been  read  over  to  him  Indeed,  thnt  there  may  be 
some  appearance  of  a  regard  to  law  and  justice,  liis  coun- 
sellor always  attends  him  on  these  occasions,  to  mark  out 
the  limits  of  the  laws^ — This  is  an  officer  of  very  high 
rank,  appointed  to  assist  the  viceroy  in  his  decisions, 
where  the  case  may  app^^ar  intricate  or  dubious  ;  and  al- 
ways is,  or  ought  to  be,  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  the 
islmd.  For  the  most  pan,  this  office  has  been  given  to 
str  ingers,  who  are  supposed  to  have  no  kindred  or  par- 
ticular connections  here,  that  in  giving  their  judgment 
they  may  be  fre.e  from  all  prejudice  and  partiality.  He 
his  free  admittance  into  all  courts  and  tribunals,  tliat  he 
may  be  the  b';ttt  r  enabled  to  give  the  viceroy  an  account 
of  their  proceediags. 

The  whole  military  force  of  Sicily  amounts  at  present, 
from  wh  it  I  can  learn,  to  9500  men,  about  liOO  of  wnich 
are  cavalry.  Many  of  their  cities  and  fortresses  would 
require  a  very  numerous  garrison  to  defend  them ;  par- 
ticularly Messin:',  Syracuse,  and  Palermo:  but  indeed, 
the  state  of  their  fortifications,  as  well  as  that  of  their  ar- 
tillery, is  such,  that  (even  if  they  were  inclined)  they 
could  make  but  a  sm  til  defcMce. 

if  this  island  were  in  the  hands  of  a  naval  power,  I  think 
it  is  evident  that  it  must  command  the  whole  Lwant 
trade  There  are  several  little  ports  at  each  end  of  it, 
besides  the  great  onos  of  Tr  puni,  Syracuse,  and  Messina, 
which  lie  pretty  near  the  three  angles  of  t'ne  triangle. — 
Whatever  ships  had  ptssed  either  ofthesF,  the  others 
could  be  apprized  of  it  in  the  space  of  half  an  hour,  by 
means  of  signal  towers,  which  the  Sicili  ins  have  erected 
all  roimd  their  island,  to  warn  them  against  tudden  inva- 
sions from  the  Barharv  side.  These  t  wers  are  built  on 
ev'jry  little  promontory  within  sighi  of  each  other.  Fires 
are  always  kepi  re  .dy  for  lij^hting,  and  a  p  rsof.  is  appoint- 
ed to  watdi  at  each  of  the  n,  so  th.U  thi  wh)!-?  island  can 
be  alarmed,  they  assure  us,  in  the  space  of  an  hour. 


Sici/y  and  Malta.  253 

By  the  by,  we  have  been  witness  I;ere  of  a  practice, 
that  appears  to  be  a  very  iniquitous  one,  and  in  the  end,  I 
should  think,  must  prove  the  destruction  of  our  Mediter- 
ranean trade.  Several  ships  have  put  in  at  this  port  witl^ 
English  colours,  but  to  our  surprize  not  one  Englishman 
on  board.  These,  I  find,  they  call  Bandiere  men  ; — per- 
haps it  is  a  known  practice,  although,  I  own,  I  was  an  ut- 
ter stranger  to  it  They  are  very  numerous  in  these  sea?, 
and  carry  on  a  considerable  trade  through  the  whole  of 
the  Mediterranean,  to  the  great  detriment  of  our  own 
ships.  Most  of  them  belong  to  Genoa  and  Sicily,  tho' 
they  pass  under  the  name  of  Minorquins.  They  pur- 
chase Mediterranean  passports,  I  am  told,  from  some  cf 
the  governors  of  our  garrisons,  which  entitles  them,  dur- 
ing the  term  specified  in  these  passports,  to  trade  under 
English  colours.  I  am  assured  that  the  number  of  these 
Bandiere  men  amounts  to  some  hundreds.  They  have 
often  one  c  two  English  sailors  on  board;  or  at  least 
some  person  that  speaks  the  language,  to  answer  when 
they  are  challenged.  Pray  can  you  tell  me  if  this  prac- 
tice is  known  in  England  ? 

Adieu.     The  heat  has  become  intolerable,  and   I  am 
able  to  write  no  more  : — however,!  should  not  have  given 
it  up  yet,  but  my  ice  is  all  melted,  and  I  have  not  the  con- 
science to  send  out  a  servant  for  more  :    I  dare  say,  you 
are  very  glad  of  it,  and  wish  it  had  been  melted  long  ago 
If  this  continues,  I  believe  we  ourselves  shall  be  melted 
The  thermometer  is  above  82,  and  the  heat  seems  to  in 
crease. — The  sea  has  even  become  too  hot  for  bathing 
and  it  does  not  at  all  refresh  us  now  as  it  did  formerly 
Earewel. 


LETTER  XXXIV. 

Palermo^  July  26. 

WE  have  now  got  every  thing  ready  for  our  depar- 
ture, and  if  the  wind  continues  favourable,  this  is 

probably  the  last  letter  I   shall  write  you  from  Sicily 

However,  I  had  still  a  great  deal  more  to  bav,both  of  th^ 
Z 


'i54  A  Tour  through 

Sicilians  and  their  island,  and  shall  leave  theui)  I  assui  t 
you,  with  a  good  deal  of  regret. 

Two  chebecks  sailed  this  morning  for  Naples.  We 
bad  the  offer  of  a  passage  ;  but  had  already  engaged  a 
little  vessel  for  ourselves — A  young  nobleman,  the  mar- 
quis of ,  was  shipped  off  in  one  of  them,  with  orders 

never  more  to  set  his  loot  in  Palemjo.  Indeed  we  are 
much  surprised  that  his  sentence  is  so  mild,  as  he  has 
been  guilty  of  a  crime,  which,  in  catholic  countries,  is 
generally  punished  with  the  greatest  rigour ; — no  less 
than  the  debauching  a  nun — He  met  with  the  young  lady 
at  a  bathing-place,  about  thirty  miles  from  this,  where 
she  had  been  sent  from  her  convent  for  the  recovery  of 
her  health  ;  her  mother  was  along  r  ith  her,  but  as  the 
two  young  people  were  first  cousins,  and  had  lived  togeth- 
er like  brother  and  sister,  the  old  lady  thought  there  could 
be  no  risk  in  allowing  them  their  wonted  familiarity. 

The  nun  soon  recovered  her  health,  grew  fat,  and  re- 
turned to  her  convent.  This  is  about  six  or  seven  months 
ago ;  and  it  is  only  a  few  days  since  the  fatal  discovery 
was  made  ;  but  alas,  it  would  conceal  no  longer.  He  is 
banished  Sicily  for  life ;  and  his  estate,  or  the  greatest 
part  of  it.  is  confiscated.  He  may  think  himself  happy 
they  have  treated  him  with  so  much  lenity  :  had  his  jury 
been  composed  of  priests  and  confessors,  he  must  have 
died,  without  benefit  of  clergy  ;  for  this  is  the  first  mor- 
tal sin,  for  which  there  is  neither  atr  nement  nor  absolu- 
tion ; — ''  to  lie  with  a  nun,  and  yet  not  be  in  orders** 

The  punishment  of  the  poor  unfortunate  girl  is  not  yet 
determined  :  however,  I  am  told,  it  will  be  a  terrible  one  ; 
probably  confinement  in  a  dungeon  for  seven  or  eight 
years,  without  any  company  but  a  skull  end  a  crucifix  ; 
and  to  live  all  that  timu  upon  bread  and  water.  I  saw  a 
nun  a^  i^onallegre,  in  Portugi^l,  that  had  suffered  this  ve- 
ry punishment  for  the  same  crime. 

This  story  has  been  kept  a  profound  secret,  and  if  we 
had  not  been  on  a  very  intimate  footing  with  some  people 
here,  we  never  should  have  heard  of  it. 

The  bicili  >ns  still  retain  some  of  the  Spanish  customs, 
thoughnothingoftheirgravity  or  taciturnity  :  the  young- 
er sons  of  the  nobility  are  styled  Don  by  ihcir  christened 
names,  and  the  daughters  Donna  ;  like  our  appellation  of 
Lord  and  Lady  to  the  sons  and  daughters  of  dukes.     The 


Sicily  and  Malta.  ^255 

eldest  son  has  commonly  the  title  of  count  or  marquis, 
but  they  are  not  all  counts  as  in  France  and  Germany, 
where  I  have  seen  six  counts  in  one  house,  and  very  near 
twice  the  number  of  barons  in  another. 

One  of  the  most  common  titles  here,  as  well  as  at  Na- 
ples, is  that  of  Prince ;  and  although  these  were  only  cre- 
ated by  Philip  II.  of  Spain,  they  take  rank  of  all  the  other 
nobility,  some  of  whom,  particularly  the  counts,  carry 
their  origin  as  far  back  as  the  times  of  the  Normans,  and 
look  with  great  contempt  on  these  upstart  princes.  The 
dukes  and  marquises  are  not  so  old  :  the  first  were  created 
by  Charles  V.  and  the  second,  though  an  inferior  title,  by 
King  Alphonso,  in  the  fifteenth  century — So  that  the  dig- 
nity of  the  Sicilian  titles  may  be  said  to  be  in  the  inverse 
ratio  of  their  aniiquiiics. 

The  luxury  of  the  people  here,  like  that  of  the  Neapol- 
itans, consists  chiefly  in  their  equipages  and  horses  ;  but 
by  a  wise  law  of  the  King  of  Sardinia,  which  I  am  surpri- 
zed should  still  remain  in  force,  the  viceroy  alone  is  al- 
lowed to  drive  in  the  city  with  six  horses;  the  praetor, 
the  archbishop,  and  president  of  the  parliament  with  four, 
all  the  rest  of  the  nobility  are  restricted  to  two.  But  this 
Is  only  within  the  gates  of  Palermo  ;  and  when  they  go  to 
the  country,  there  is  none  of  them  that  drive  with  less 
than  four  :  besides,  every  family  of  distinction  has  at  least 
two  or  three  carriages  in  daily  use  ;  for  no  man  of  fash- 
ion is  so  unpolite  as  to  refuse  his  wife  a  chariot  of  her 
own,  of  which  she  has  the  entire  command  ;  (without  this 
the  Marino  could  never  subsist,)  and  the  upper  servants 
of  the  first  families  would  be  just  as  much  ashamed  to  be 
seen  on  foot  as  their  masters — We  took  the  liberty  t(,. 
ridicule  the  folly  ofthis  practice  : — they  allow  of  its  ab- 
surdity, and  wish  to  break  through  it ;  but  who  is  to  lead 
the  way  ?  We  even  prevailed  with  some  of  the  young  no- 
bility, which  I  assure  you  was  no  small  condescension,  to 
walk  the  streets  with  us  during  the  illuminations  ;  but 
even  this  comlescension  showed  the  folly  of  the  prejudice 
in  a  stronger  light  than  if  they  had  refused  us  ;  for  they 
would  not  be  prevailed  on  to  stir  out,  till  they  had  sent 
their  servants  about  ten  yards  before  them,  with  large 
wax  flambeaux,  although  the  whole  city  was  in  a  flame  of 
light.  You  may  believe  we  did  not  spare  them  on  this 
occasion ;  but  ;t  was  all  to  no  purpose.     However,  it  is 


^i56  A  Tour  through 

possible  that  we  rmy  overlook  many  customs  of  our  own, 
that  are  not  less  rkliculous  ;  for  ridicule  for  the  most  part 

is  relative,  and  depends  only  on  time  and  place Perhaps 

you  mav  remember  the  prince  of  Anainaboo  : — I  should 
like  to  hear  the  account  he  would  give  of  the  English  nation 
Jn  his  o^vn  country  :  for  some  of  our  customs  struck  him 
•n  a  still  more  ridiculous  light  — Walking  out  in  St. 
James's  Park,  in  the  afternoon,  he  observed  one  of  his  ac- 
qvinrntvince  driving  in  a  phaeton  \r\x\\  four  horses.  The 
Prince  burst  into  a  violent  fit  of  l?Aighing  : — when  they 
asked  him  what  was  the  matter? — '  V^at  the  devil,  (said 
the  Piinre,  in  his  bad  English,)  has  the  fellow  eat  so 
much  dinner  that  now  it  takes  four  horses  to  carry  him  ? 
I  rode  out  v/ith  him  this  morning,  and  he  was  then  so 
light,  that  van  little  horse  ran  away  with  him. — He  must 
cither  be  a  great  fool  or  a  great  glutton.'*  Another  time 
Ihey  insisted  on  the  Prince  going  to  the  play  —He  went ; 
Ijut  he  soon  tired  of  it,  and  returned  to  his  compan- 
ions.— '*\Vell,  Prince,  (said  they,)  what  did  you  see  V* — 
"  Vat  did  I  see,  (replied  he  with  the  utmost  contempt,) 
I  did  see  some  men  playing  de  fiddle — and  some  men 
playing  de  fool." 

I  only  infer  from  thii^,  that  it  is  with  some  degree  of 
caution  we  should  ridicule  the  customs  of  ether  nations  : 
a  Sicilian,  perhaps,  would  laugh  with  as  much  justice  at 
many  of  our  customs; — that,  for  instance,  cf  obliging 
people  to  drink  when  they  hnve  no  inclination  to  it  ; — that 
in  the  North,  of  eating  Soland  geese  before  dinner,  t© 
give  them  an  appetite  ; — that  of  physicians  and  lawyers 
wearing  enormous  wigs,  and  many  others  that  will  natu- 
rally occur  to  you,  none  of  which  appear  in  the  least  ri- 
diculous to  the  people  that  practise  them  ;  who  would  no 
doubt  defend  them  as  strenuously  as  the  Sicilians  do  the 
necessity  of  carrying  flambeaux  before  them  during  the 
great  illumination — Indeed  they  have  just  now  given  us 
an  admirable  specimen  of  some  of  our  ridicules,  in  one  of 
their  opera-dances,  with  which  we  have  been  a  good  deal 
entertained. 

I  believe  I  told  you  that  the  dancers  are  lately  come 
from  England  :  they  have  brought  upon  the  stage  many 
of  the  CL\pir^l  London  characters: — The  bucks,  the  mac- 
aronies, the  prigs,  the  cits,  and  some  others  still  more 
pespectable  :  these  are  well  supported,  and  afford  a  good 


Sicily  and  Malta,  257 

deal  of  laughing.  But  I  am  interrupted,  otherwise  I 
should  have  given  you  a  more  particular  account  of  them. 
Adieu.  The  heat  is  intolerable ;  and  there  is  no  possi- 
bility of  walking  out. — We  complain  without  reason  of  our 
own  climate;  and  King  Charles's  observation  I  am  per- 
suaded was  just ;  "  That  there  is  hardly  any  climate, 
where,  throughout  the  year,  we  can  have  so  much  exer- 
cise in  the  open  air."         Ever  yours. 


LETTER  XXXV. 

Palermo^  July  27. 

THE  Sicilians  are  animated  in  conversation,  and  their 
aciion  for  the  most  part  is  so  just  and  so  expressive 
of  their  sentiments,  that  without  hearing  what  is  said,  one 
may  comprehend  the  subject  of  their  discourse.  We 
used  to  think  the  French  and  Neapolitans  great  adepts  in 
this  art ;  but  they  arc  much  outdone  by  the  Sicilians,  both 
in  the  variety  and  justness  of  iheir  gesticuh\tion. 

The  origin  of  this  custom  they  carry  so  far  back  as  the 
time  of  the  earliest  tyrants  of  Syracuse,  who,  to  prevent 
conspiracies,  had  forbid  their  subjects,  under  the  most  se- 
vere penalties,  to  be  seen  in  parties  talking  together  — 
This  obliged  them  to  invent  a  method  of  communicating 
their  sentiments  by  dumb  show,  which  they  pretend  has 
been  transmitted  from  generation  to  generation  ever  since. 

I  think  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  this  custom  too 
may  have  given  the  first  idea  of  comedy ;  as  we  find,  that 
some  shori  time  after,  Epicarmus,  a  native  of  that  city, 
was  the  author  of  tliis  invention. 

The  Sicilians  till  lately  retained  a  great  many  foolish 
and  superstitious  customs  ;  but  particularly  in  tlicir  mar- 
riage and  funeral  ceremonies :  it  would  be  tedious  to  give 
you  an  account  of  all  these  ;  some  of  them  are  still  prac- 
lised  in  the  wild  and  mountainous  parts  of  the  island.— 
As  60on  as  the  marriage  ceremony  is  performed,  iw  o  of 
the  attendants  are  ready  to  cram  a  spoonful  of  honey  into 
the  mouths  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom  ;  propouncing  i; 
Z    2      ' 


!258  A  Tour  through 

eniblematicul  of  their  love  and  onion,  which  they  hope 
will  ever  continue  so  sweet  to  their  souls,  as  that  honey 
is  to  theif  pahtes  — They  then  begin  to  throw  handfuls 
of  wheat  upon  them,  which  is  condnued  all  the  way  to 
the  house  of  the  brirlegroom.  This  is  probably  the  re- 
mains of  some  ancient  rite  to  Ceres,  their  favourite  divin- 
ity, and  they  think  it  cannot  fdil  of  procuring  them  a  nu- 
merous progeny  : — however,  the  Sicilian  women  have  no 
occvision  for  any  charm  to  promote  this,  as,  in  gencal, 
they  are  abundantly  prolific  even  without  it.  Fazztllo 
gives  an  account  of  women  having  freqiiently  upwards  of 
forty  children  ;  and  Carrera  mentions  one  who  had  forty- 
seven. 

The  young  couple  are  not  allowed  to  taste  of  the  mar- 
■•  iap;e-feast ;  this  thty  pretend  is  to  teach  them  patience 
and  temperance;  but  when  dinner  is  finished,  a  great 
bone  is  presented  to  the  bridegroom  by  the  bride's  father, 
or  one  cf  her  nearest  relations,  who  pronounces  these 
words  :  "  J^odi  tu  quest*  osso,  kc.  Pick  you  this  bone, 
for  you  have  now  taken  in  hand  to  pick  one,  which  you 
will  find  much  harder  and  of  more  difficult  digestion.** — 
Perhaps  this  may  have  given  rise  to  the  common  saying, 
when  one  has  un«^erlaken  any  thing  arduous  or  diflkult, 
that  "  He  has  got  a  bone  to  pick.** 

The  Sicilians,  like  most  other  nations  in  Europe,  care- 
fcilly  avoid  marrying  in  the  mon. h  of  May,  and  look  upon 
such  marriages  as  extremely  inauspicious.  This  piece 
of  superstition  is  as  old,  perhaps  elder,  than  the  time  of 
the  Romans,  by  whose  authors  it  is  freq\iently  mentioned  ; 
and  by  whom  it  has  been  transmitted  to  almost  every  na- 
tion in  Europe.  It  is  somewhat  unaccountable,  that  so 
lidiculous  an  idea,  wluch  can  have  no  foundatioR  in  nature, 
should  have  stood  its  ground  for  so  many  ages.— ^There 
are  indeed  other  customs  still  more  trivial,  that  are  not 
less  universal.  Tht^t  of  making  April  fools  on  the  first 
day  of  that  month  ;  the  ceremony  of  the  cake  on  Twelfih- 
t^ight ;  and  some  others  that  will  occur  to  you,  ef  which, 
no  more  than  this,  I  have  ever  been  able  to  learn  their 
origin. 

The  marriages  of  the  Sicilian  nobility  are  celebrated 
with  great  magnificence;  and  the  number  cf  elegant  car- 
riages produced  on  these  occasions  is  astonishing.  I 
wanted  to  discover  when  this  great  luxury  in  carriages 


Sicily  and  Malta.  Q59 

had  taken  its  rise;  and  have  found  an  account  of  the 
niarrittge  of  the  daughter  of  one  of  their  viceroys  to  the 
duke  of  Bivona,  in  the  year  1551.  It  is  described  by 
one  Elenco,  who  was  a  spectator  of  the  ceremony.  He 
says,  the  ladies  as  well  as  gentlemen  were  all  mounted 
on  fine  horses,  sum.ptuously  caparisoned,  and  preceded 
by  pages :  that  there  were  only  three  carriages  in  the 
cily,  which  were  used  by  invalids  who  were  not  able  to 
ride  on  horseback.  These  he  calls  Carrete,  which  word 
now  signifies  a  little  cart. 

The  Sicilian  ladies  marry  very  young,  and  frequently 
live  to  see  the  fifth  oV'sixth  generation.  You  will  expect, 
no  doubt,  that  I  should  say  something  of  their  beauty. — 
In  general,  they  are  sprightly  and  agreeable  ;  and  in  most 
parts  of  Italy  they  would  be  esteemed  handsome.  A  Nea- 
politan or  a  Roman  would  surely  pronounce  them  so. — 
But  a  Piedmontcse  would  declare  them  very  ordinary  : 
so  indeed  would  most  Englishmen.  Nothing  so  vague 
as  our  ideas  of  female  beauty ;  they  change  in  every  cli- 
mate ;  and  the  criterion  is  no  where  to  be  Ibund. 

*■'  Ask  Where's  the  North  ? — at  York,  'tis  on  the  Tweed, 
In  Scotland  at  the  Orcades,  and  there 
V  At  Nova  Zembla,  or  the  Lord  knows  where." 

No  two  nations, — perhaps  no  two  men,  have  affixed 
percisely  the  same  characteristics;  and  every  one  exalts 
his  idea  of  it,  according  to  the  beauty  of  the  woman  he  is 
accustomed  to  see  ;  so  that  even  the  same  person  may 
sometimes  appear  beautiful,  sometimes  ugly,  just  in  pro- 
portion as  we  have  seen  others  that  are  niore  or  less  so. 
1  remember,  after  making  the  tour  of  Savoy  and  the 
Lower  Valais,  every  woman  we  met  in  Switzerland  ap- 
peared an  angel.  The  same  thing  happens  in  travelling 
through  some  parts  of  Germany  ;  and  you  \wll  easily  re- 
collect the  surprising  difference  betwixt  a  betmty  at  Mi- 
lan and  ORe  at  Turin,  although  these  places  lie  adjacent 
to  each  other.  It  is  a  pity  ihat  the  Juno  of  Zeuxis  has 
been  lost,  if  it  were  no  more  than  to  have  shewn  us  the 
notion  the  ancients  had  of  a  perfect  beauty — Indeed-?  the 
Venus  of  Medicis  has  been  considered  as  a  m.odel  of  per- 
fection,— but  it  is  surely  absurd; — for  who  ever  heaid  of 
a  perfect  beauty  of  five  feet  high ! — the  very  idea  is  ridi- 
culous ;  and  whatever  figure  her  goddesship  might  jnake 


i60  A  Tour  through 

amongst  the  ancient  divinities,  in  the  Pantheo!^  at  Rome, 
I  am  afraid  she  would  cut  but  a  very  sorry  one  amongst 
the  modern  ones,  in  that  of  London.  In  short,  I  believe 
we  may  safely  conclude,  that  beauty  is  a  relative  quality, 
and  the  To  kalon  is  no  longer  the  same,  no  more  in  a  phy- 
sical than  a  moral  sense,  in  any  two  places  on  the  globe. 

The  ladies  here  have  remarkably  fine  hair,  and  they 
understand  how  to  dress  and  adorn  it  to  the  greatest  ad- 
vantage. It  is  now  only  used  as  an  embellishment;  but 
in  former  times,  we  are  told,  that,  like  that  of  Samson, 
it  was  found  to  be  the  strength  and  protection  of  their 
country — There  is  a  parodox  for  you,  that  all  the  wise 
men  of  the  east  could  hardly  solve. — Their  historians  re- 
late, (in  whose  reign  I  believe  is  rather  dubious),  that 
this  city  had  suffered  a  long  siege  from  the  Saracens,  and 
was  greatly  reduced  by  famine;  but,  what  distressed  them 
still  more,  there  were  no  materials  to  be  found  for  making 
bowstrings,  and  they  were  on  the  point  of  surrendering. 
In  this  dilemma,  a  patriotic  dame  stepped  forth,  and  pro- 
posed to  the  women,  that  the  whole  of  them  should  cut 
oft'  their  hair,  and  twist  it  into  bowstrings:  This  was 
immediately  complied  with.  The  heroism  of  the  women, 
you  know,  must  ever  excite  that  of  the  men  — The  be- 
sieged, animated  by  this  gallant  sacrifice  of  the  fair,  re- 
newed their  defence  with  such  vigour,  ihat  the  assailants 
were  beat  off;  and  a  reinforcement  soon  after  arriving, 
the  city  was  saved.  The  ladies  still  value  themselves 
upon  this  story,  which  you  may  believe  has  not  been  for- 
gotten by  their  bards.  "  The  hair  of  our  ladies  (says 
one  of  their  quaint  poets)  is  still  employed  in  the  same 
office  i  but  now  it  discharges  no  other  shafts  but  those  of 
Cupid;  and  the  only  cords  it  forms  are  the  cords  of  love.'* 

The  Sicilians  are  much  fonder  of  study  than  their 
neighbours  on  the  continent :  and  their  education  is  much 
more  attended  to.  We  were  a  good  deal  surprised  to 
find,  that  instead  of  that  frivolity  and  nothingness,  which 
so  often  constitute  the  conversation  of  the  Italian  nobility, 
here  their  delight  was  to  talk  on  subjects  of  literature, 
of  history,  of  politics,  but  chiefly  of  poetry  ;  for  the  other 
branches  of  knowledge  and  science  are  only  general : 
this  is  the  only  one  that  may  be  said  to  be  universal. — 
Every  person,  in  some  period  of  his  life,  is  sure  to  be 
inspired  ;  and  a  lover  is  never  believed,  so  long  as  he  can 


Sicily  and  Malta.  26 1 

speak  of  his  passion  in  prose  ;  and,  contrary  to  cur  way 
of  reasoninp^,  is  only  reckoned  true  in  proportion  as  he  is 
poetical.  Thus,  inspiration,  }Ou  see,  has  heie  becon^ 
the  test  of  truth. 

We  were  astonished  on  our  first  arriviil  at  Palermo,  to 
hear  ourselves  addressed  in  English  by  some  of  the  young 
nobility  ;  bat  still  more  so,  to  find  them  intimately  aq- 
quainied  with  many  of  our  celebrated  poets  £nd  philoso- 
phers,— Milton,  Shakespeare,  Dryden,  Pope,  Bacon  — 
Bolingbroke  we  found  in  several  libraiies,not  in  the  trans- 
lation, but  generally  in  the  best  editions  of  the  original. 

Our  1  mguage,  indeed,  has  become  so  much  in  vcgucj 
that  it  is  now  looked  upon  as  no  immaterial  pari  of  a 
polite  education :  the  viceroy,  the  marquis  Foglianc,  a 
man  of  great  merit  and  humanity,  has  made  some  of  cur 
authors  his  favourite  study,  and  greatly  encourages  the 
progress  it  is  making  in  his  kingdom.  Many  of  the 
nobility  speak  it  a  little ;  and  some  of  them  even  with 
ease  and  fluency,  although  they  have  never  been  out  of 
their  island;  the  marquis  Natali,  the  counts  Statela  and 
Buschemi,  the  duke  of  St.  Micheli,  £cc.  in  whose  com- 
pany we  have  enjoyed  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  and  whose 
knowledge  and  erudition  is  the  least  part  of  their  praisQ. 

Adieu. 


LETTER  XXXYL 


Palermo^  July  28. 

I  HAD  almost  forgot  to  say  any  thing  of  the  opera:— 
It  would  have  been  very  ungrateful,  for  wc  have  beetf 
very  much  delighted  with  it.  The  first  and  second  man 
are  both  admirable  singers,  and  I  make  no  doubt  you  will 
have  them  in  London  in  a  few  years ;  neither  of  them 
are  as  yet  known,  and  I  dare  say  at  present  they  might 
be  engaged  for  a  very  moderate  price  ;  but  in  Italy  ihey 
will  soon  be  taught  to  estimate  their  value.  The  name 
of  the  first  is  Pacherotti ;  he  is  very  young,  and  an  -rntire 
stranger  in  the  m.usical  world  :  yet  I  am  persuaded,  that 


!26^  A  Tour  through 


is' 


after  he  has  been  heard  on  the  different  theatres  in  Italy, 
he  will  be  esteemed  one  of  their  capital  performers. — 
His  excellence  is  the  pathetic,  at  present  too  much  ne- 
glected on  most  theatres;  and  indeed,  I  think,  he  gives 
more  expression  to  his  cantabiLe  airs,  and  makes  his 
hearers  feel  more,  because  he  feels  more  himself  than 
any  that  I  have  seen  in  Italy.  He  indeed  addresses  him- 
self to  the  heart,  while  most  of  the  modern  performers 
sing  only  to  the  fancy. 

The  first  woman  is  Gabrieli;  who  is  certainly  the 
greatest  singer  in  the  world :  and  those  tiuit  sing  on  the 
same  theatre  with  her,  must  be  capital,  otherwise  ihey 
never  can  be  attended  to.  This  indeed  has  been  the  fate 
of  all  theotlier  performers,  except  PacheroUi ;  and  he  too 
g-ave  himself  up  for  lost,  on  hearing  her  first  perform- 
ance—It  happened  to  be  an  air  of  execuiion,  exactly 
adapted  to  her  voice,  which  she  exerted  in  so  astonishing 
a  manner,  that  before  it  was  half  done,  poor  Pacherotti 
burst  out  a-crying, and  ran  in  behind  the  scenes;  lament- 
ing that  he  had  dared  to  appear  on  the  same  stage  with 
so  wonderful  a  singer  ;  where  his  small  talents  must  not 
only  be  lost,  but  where  he  must  ever  be  accused  of  a  pre- 
sumption, which  he  hoped  was  foreign  to  his  character. 

It  was  with  some  difficulty  they  could  prevail  on  him 
to  appear  again,  but  from  an  applause  well  merited,  both 
from  his  talents  and  his  modesty,  he  soon  began  to  pluck 
up  a  little  courage;  and  in  the  singing  of  a  tendsr  air, 
addressed  to  Gabrieli  in  the  character  of  a  lover,  even 
she  herself,  as  well  as  the  audience,  is  said  to  have  been 
moved. 

Indeed,  in  these  very  pathetic  pieces,  I  am  surprised 
that  the  power  of  the  music  does  not  sometimes  altoge- 
ther overcome  the  delusion  of  character ;  for  when  you 
are  master  of  the  language,  and  allow  the  united  power 
of  the  poetry,  the  action,  and  the  ntmsic,  to  have  its  full 
force  on  the  mind,  the  effect  is  wonderfully  great.  How- 
ever, I  have  never  heard  that  this  happened  completely 
but  once  ;  and  it  was  no  less  a  singer  than  Farinelli  that 
produced  it—He  appeared  in  the  character  of  a  young 
captive  hero,  and  in  a  tender  air  was  soliciting  mercy  for 
his  mistress  and  himself,  of  a  stern  and  cruel  tyrant  who 
had  made  them  his  prisoners.  The  person  that  acted 
the  tyrant  was  so  perfectly  overcome  by  the  melting 


Sicily  and  Malta  26S 

strains  of  Farinelli,  that  instead  of  refusing  his  request 
as  he  ought  to  have  done,  he  entirely  forgot  his  charac- 
ter, burst  into  tears,  and  caught  him  in  his  arms. 

The  performance  of  Gabrieli  is  so  generally  known 
and  admired,  that  it  is  needless  to  say  any  thing  to  you 
on  that  subject.  Her  wonderful  execution  tmd  volubility 
of  voice  have  long  been  the  admiration  of  Italy,  and  has 
even  obliged  them  to  invent  a  new  term  to  express  it ; 
and  would  she  exert  herself  as  much  to  please  as  to  asto- 
nish, she  might  almost  perform  the  wonders  that  have 
been  ascribed  to  Orpheus  and  Timotheus ;  but  it  hap- 
pens, luckily  perhaps  for  the  repose  of  mankind,  that  her 
caprice  is,  if  possible,  even  greater  than  her  talents,  and 
has  made  her  still  more  contemptible  than  these  have  made 
her  celebrated.  By  this  means,  her  character  has  often 
proved  a  sufficient  antidote,  both  to  the  charms  of  her 
voice  and  those  of  her  person,  which  are  indeed  almost 
equally  powerful ;  but  if  these  had  been  united  to  the 
qualities  of  a  modest  and  an  amiable  mind,  she  must  have 
made  dreadful  havock  in  the  world.  However,  with  all 
her  faults,  she  is  certainly  the  most  dangerous  syren  of 
modern  times,  and  has  made  more  conquests,  I  suppose, 
than  any  one  woman  breathing. 

It  is  but  justice  to  add,  that  contrary  to  the  generality 
of  her  profession,  she  is  by  no  means  selfish  or  merce- 
nary, but,  on  the  contrary,  has  given  many  singular  proofs 
of  generosity  and  disinterestedness.  She  is  very  rich  ; 
from  the  bounty,  as  is  supposed,  of  the  last  emperor,  who 
was  fond  of  having  her  at  Vienna  ;  but  she  was  at  last 
banished  that  city,  as  she  has  likewise  been  most  of  those 
in  Italy,  from  the  broils  and  squabbles  that  her  intriguing 
spirit,  perhaps  still  more  than  her  beauty,  had  excited. 
There  are  a  great  many  anecdotes  concerning  her,  that 
would  not  make  an  unentertaining  volume  j  and,  I  am 
told,  either  are,  or  will  soon  be  published. 

Although  she  is  considerably  upwards  of  thirty,  on  the 
stage  she  scarcely  appears  to  be  eighteen  ;  and  this  art  of 
appearing  young,  is  none  of  the  most  contemptible  that 
she  possesses— When  she  is  in  good  humour,  and  really 
chooses  to  exert  herself,  there  is  nothing  in  music  that  I 
have  ever  heard,  to  be  compared  to  her  performance  :  for 
she  sings  to  the  heart  as  well  as  the  fancy?  when  she 
pleases  \  and  she  then  commands  every  passion  with  un- 


264  A  Tour  througli 

bounded  sway.  But  she  is  seldom  capable  of  exercising 
these  wonderful  powers :  and  her  caprice  and  her  talents 
exerting  themselves  by  turns,  have  given  her,  all  her 
life,  the  singular  fate  of  becoming  alternately  an  object  of 
admiration  and  of  contempt. 

Her  powers  in  acting  and  reciting,  are  scarcely  inferior 
to  those  of  her  singing  ;  sometimes,  a  few  words  in  the 
recitative,  with  a  simple  accompaniment  only,  produce 
an  effect,  that  I  have  never  been  sensible  of  from  any 
other  performer  ;  and  inclines  me  to  believe  what  Rous- 
seau advances  on  this  branch  of  music,  which  with  us  is 
so  much  despised.  She  owes  much  of  her  merit  to  the 
instructions  she  received  from  Metastasio,  particularly  in 
acting  and  reciting  ;  and  he  allows  that  she  does  more 
justice  to  his  operas  than  any  other  actress  that  ever  at- 
tempted them. 

Her  caprice  is  so  fixed  and  so  stubborn,  that  neither  in- 
terest, nor  flattery,  nor  threats,  nor  punishments,  have  the 
least  power  over  it ;  and  it  appears,  that  treating  her 
with  respect  or  contempt  have  an  equal  tendency  to  in- 
crease it. 

It  is  seldom  that  she  condescends  to  exert  these  won- 
derful talents  ;  but  most  particularly  if  she  imagines  that 
such  an  exertion  is  expected.  And  instead  of  singing 
her  airs  as  other  actresses  do,  for  the  most  part  she  only 
hums  them  over,  a  mczza  voce.  And  no  art  whatever  is 
capable  of  making  her  sing,  when  she  dees  not  choose  it. 

The  most  successful  expedient  has  ever  been  found,  to 
prevail  on  her  favourite  lover,  for  she  always  has  one,  to 
place  himself  in  the  centre  of  the  pit,  or  the  front  box  ; 
and  if  they  are  on  good  terms,  which  ii  seldom  the  case, 
she  will  address  her  tender  airs  to  him,  and  exert  herself 
to  the  utmost. — Her  present  enamoraio  promised  to  give 
us  this  specimen  of  his  power  over  her  :  he  took  his 
place  accordingly  ;^ut  Gabrielli,  probably  suspecting  the 
contrivance,  would  take  no  notice  of  him ;  so  that  even 
this  expedient  does  not  always  succeed. 

The  viceroy,  who  is  fond  of  music,  has  tried  every  me- 
thod to  no  purpose.  Some  time  ago  he  gave  a  great 
dinner  to  the  principal  nobility  of  Palermo,  and  sent  an 
invitation  to  Gabrieli  to  be  of  the  party.  Every  other 
person  arrived  at  the  hour  of  invitation  The  viceroy 
ordered  dinner  to  be  kept  back,  and  sent  to  let  her  know 


Sicily  and  Malta.  ^&5 

that  the  company  waited  her.  The  messenger  found  her 
reading  in  bed; — she  said  she  was  sorry  for  having  made 
the  company  wait,  and  begged  he  would  make  her  apo- 
logy, but  that  really  she  had  entirely  forgot  her  engage- 
ment. 

The  viceroy  would  have  forgiven  this  piece  of  inso- 
l«nce,  but,  when  the  company  came  to  the  opera,  Gabri- 
elli  repeated  her  part  with  the  most  perfect  negligence 
and  indifference,  and  sung  all  her  airs  in  what  they  call 
sot  to  voce,  that  is,  so  low  that  they  can  scarcely  be  heard. 
The  viceroy  was  offended ;  but  as  he  is  a  good  tempered 
man,  he  was  loth  to  make  use  of  authority  ;  but  at  last, 
by 'a  perseverance  in  this  insolent  stubbornness,  she  oblig- 
ed him  to  threaten  her  with  punishment  in  case  she  any 
longer  refused  to  sing. 

On  this  she  grew  more  obstinate  than  ever,  declaring 
that  force  and  authority  should  never  succeed  with  her ; 
that  he  might  make  her  cry,  but  that  he  never  could 
make  her  sing.  The  viceroy  then  sent  her  to  prison, 
where  she  remained  twelve  days.  During  which  time 
she  gave  magnificent  entertainments  every  day  :  paid  the 
debts  of  all  the  poor  prisoners,  and  distributed  large  sums 
in  charity.  The  viceroy  was  obliged  to  give  up  strug- 
gling with  her,  and  she  was  at  last  set  at  liberty  amidst 
the  acclamations  of  the  poor  — Luckily  for  us,  she  is  at 
present  in  good  humour,  aftd  sometimes  exerts  herself 
to  the  utmost  of  her  power. 

She  says  she  has  several  times  been  on  terms  with  the 
managers  of  our  opera,  but  thinks  she  shall  never  be  able 
to  pluck  up  resolution  enough  to  go  to  England.  What 
do  you  think  is  her  reason  ? — It  is  by  no  means  a  bad  one. 
She  says  she  cannot  command  her  caprice  ;  but,  for  the 
most  part,  that  it  commands  her  ;  and  that  there  she  could 
have  no  opportunity  of  indulging  it : — For,  says  she,  were 
I  to  take  it  into  my  head  not  to  sing,  I  am  told  the  people 
there  would  certainly  mob  me,  and  perhaps  break  my 
bones  ; — now  I  like  to  sleep  in  a  sound  skin,  although  it 
should  even  be  in  a  prison, — She  alleges  too,  that  it  is 
not  always  caprice  that  prevents  her  from  singing ;  but 
that  it  often  depends  upon  physical  causes  ;  and  this,  in- 
deed, I  can  readily  believe  :  for  that  wonderful  flexibility 
of  voice  that  runs  with  such  rapidity  ahd  neatness  through 
the  most  minute  divisions,  and  produces  almost  instanta- 
A  a 


^266  A  Tour  throus^h 


'&' 


neousiy  so  great  a  variety  of  modulation,  must  surely  de- 
pend on  the  very  nicest  tone  of  the  fibres.  And  if  these 
are  in  the  smallest  degree  relaxed,  or  their  elasticity  di- 
minished ;  how  is  it  possible  that  their  contractions  and 
expansions  can  so  readily  obey  the  will,  as  to  produce 
these  effects? — The  opening  of  the  glottis,  which  forms 
the  voice,  is  extremely  small,  and  in  every  variety  of  tone, 
its  diameter  must  suffer  a  sensible  change  ;  for  the  same 
diameter  must  ever  produce  the  same  tone  : — So  won- 
derfully minute  are  its  contractions  and  dilatations,  that 
Dr.  Keil,  I  think,  computes,  that  in  some  voices,  its  open- 
ing, not  more  than  the  tenth  of  an  inch,  is  divided  into  up- 
wards of  1200  parts,  the  different  sound  of  every  one  of 
which  is  perceptible  to  an  exact  ear.  Now,  what  a  nice 
tension  of  fibres  must  this  require ! — I  should  imagine 
every  the  most  minute  change  in  the  air,  must  cause  a 
sensible  difference,  and  that  in  our  foggy  climate,  the  fi- 
bres would  be  in  danger  of  losing  this  wonderful  sensibili- 
ty ;  or  at  least  that  they  would  often  be  put  out  of  tune. 
It  is  not  the  same  case  with  an  ordinary  voice ;  where 
the  variety  of  divisions  run  through,  and  the  volubility 
with  which  they  are  executed  bear  no  proportion  to  those 
of  Gabrieli. 

One  of  the  ballets  of  our  opera,  is  a  representation  of 
Vauxhall  gardens,  and  this  is  the  third  time  I  have  seen 
Vauxhall  brought  upon  the  Italian  theatre ;  at  Turin,  at 
Naples,  and  here.  The  gardens  are  well  represented, 
and  an  idea  must  have  been  given  by  some  person  that 
had  been  on  the  spot.  A  variety  of  good  English  figures  ^ 
are  brought  in  :  some  with  large  frizzled  wigs  sticking 
half  a  yard  out  behind  their  necks  ;  some  with  little  cut 
scratches,  that  look  extremely  ridiculous.  Some  come 
in  cracking  their  whips,  with  buckskin  breeches  and 
jockey  caps  Some  are  armed  with  great  oaken  sticks  ; 
their  hair  lied  up  in  enormous  clubs,  and  stocks  that  swell 
their  necks  to  double  its  natural  size.  But  what  affords 
the  principal  part  of  the  entertainment  is,  three  quakers 
who  are  duped  by  three  ladies  of  the  town,  in  concert 
with  three  jack  tars,  their  lovers. — These  characters,  as 
you  may  believe,  are  much  exaggerated,  though,  upon 
the  whole,  they  are  supported  with  humour,  and  have  af- 
forded us  a  good  deal  of  laughing  ;  however,  we  were 
hurt  to  see  the  respectable  character  of  quakers  turned 


Skily  and  Malta.  'iQl 

into  such  ridicule  ;  and  as  the  people  here  were  altogeth- 
er unacquainted  with  it,  we  have  been  at  some  pains  to 
explain  to  them  the  sinnplicity  and  purity  of  their  man- 
ners, and  the  incorruptible  integrity  of  their  principles. 
Although  the  Sicilians  in  general  are  a  good  sort  of 
people,  and  seem  to  be  endowed  with  a  large  share  of  phi- 
lanthropy and  urbanity;  yet  it  must  be  owned  they  have 
no  great  affection  for  their  neighbours  on  the  continent  ; 
and  indeed  the  dislike  is  altogether  reciprocal. — It  is 
somewhat  singular  ;  I  am  afraid  not  much  for  the  honour 
of  human  nature;  that  through  all  Europe,  the  two 
neighbouring  nations  have  a  perpetual  jarring  with  each 
other. — I  could  heartily  wish  that  we  had  been  an  excep- 
tion from  this  rule  ;  but  I  am  sorry  to  see,  from  our 
newspapers,  which  are  sent  lo  the  nobility  of  this  city,  that 
at  present  we  are  rather  the  most  distinguished  for  it : 
at  least  our  animosities,  if  there  really  are  any,  muke  by 
much  the  greatest  noise  of  all  — We  have  often  been  ask- 
ed by  foreigners  what  was  the  ground  of  the  mighty 
quarrel,  that  such  torrents  of  the  most  illiberal  abuse 
have  been  poured  out  by  a  people  so^  celebrated  for  libe- 
rality of  sentiment ;  and  it  is  with  difficulty  we  can  per- 
suade them,  that  although  from  the  papers  tliis  some- 
times appears  to  be  the  voice  of  the  nation,  yet  in  fact  it 
is  only  confined  to  a  set  of  the  most  worthless  and  despi- 
cable incendiaries  ;  like  him  who  set  the  house  in  a  flunje. 
on  purpose  to  pilfer  during  the  conflagration. — But  the 
abuse  that  is  levelled  at  the  king,  surprises  them  more 
than  all  the  rest  :  and  you  cannot  ccnceive  their  amaze- 
ment and  indignation  when  we  assured  them,  that  not- 
withstanding all  this,  he  was  the  most  virtuous  and  be- 
nevolent prince  on  earth. — Then,  exclaimed  a  Sicilian 
nobleman,  you  must  certainly  be  the  most  damnable  peo- 
ple on  the  globe. — I  was  a  good  deal  struck  with  the  sud- 
denness of  the  charge;  and  it  was  not  without  many  ex- 
planations of  the  liberty  of  our  constitution,  and  particu- 
larly that  6f  the  press,  that  I  could  prevail  with  him  to 
retract  his  sentiments,  and  think  more  favourably  of  ue. 
Still  he  insisted,  that  so  egregious  an  abuse  of  this  liber- 
ty, was  only  a  further  proof  of  his  position  ;  and  that 
there  must  be  something  essentially  wrong  in  a  nation 
that  could  allow  of  such  abuse  levelled  at  the  most  sacred 
of  all  characters :  the  highest  virtue  united  to  the  highest 


'^08  A  Tour  ihrough 

statioir.  We  assured  him  that  what  he  heard,  was  only 
the  voice  of  the  most  abandoned  and  profligate  wretches 
in  the  nation ;  who,  taking  advantage  of  the  great  freedom 
of  the  press,  had  often  made  these  newspapers  the  vehi- 
cles of  the  most  detestable  sedition  :  That  both  the  king 
and  queen  were  beloved  by  all  their  subjects,  at  least  by 
all  those  of  worth  ; — that  they  never  were  spoken  of  but 
as  the  most  perfect  model  of  conjugal  union  and  happi- 
ness, as  well  as  of  every  social  endowment ;  and  that  they 
could  have  no  enemies,  but  the  enemies  of  virtue. 

However,  after  all,  we  could  but  patch  up  a  peace  with 
him.  He  could  not  comprehend  (he  said)  how  the  voice 
of  a  few  incendiaries  should  he  louder  than  the  general 
voice  of  the  nation. — We  told  him,  that  people  who  were 
pleased  commonly  held  their  tongue;  and  that  sedition 
and  libel  ever  made  a  greater  noise  than  panegyric  ;  just 
as  the  fire-bell  is  rung  louder,  and  is  more  listened  to 
than  the  bell  for  rejoicing. 

Adieu.  Our  pilot  says  the  wind  is  not  fair,  so  that  pos.- 
sibiy  we  may  still  stay  a  day  or  two  longer.     Ever  youis'. 


LETTER  XXXVII 


Palermo,  July  29 

WERE  I  to  enter  upon  the  natural  history  of  this 
island.  It  would  lead  me  into  a  vast  field  of  specu- 
lation, for  which  I  have  neither  time  nor  abilities  :  how- 
ever a  variety  of  objects  struck  us  as  we  travelled  along, 
thit  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  give  you  some  little  account  of. 
There  are  a  variety  of  mineral  waters,almost  through  the 
whole  of  Sicily.  Many  of  these  are  boiling  hot ;  others 
still  more  singular,  are  of  a  degree  of  cold  superior  to 
that  of  ice,  and  yet  never  freeze. 

In  several  places,  they  have  fountains  that  throw  up  a 
l^ind  of  oil  on  their  surface,  which  is  of  great  use  to  the 
peasants,  who  burn  it  in  their  lamps,  and  use  it  to  many 
other  purposes  ;  but  there  is  still  a  more  remarkable  one 
near   Nicoeia,  which  ifs  called  //  fonte  Canalotto,    It  is 


Sicily  and  Malta.  269 

cw'ered  with  a  thick  scum  of  a  kind  of  pitch,  which, 
amongst  the  country  people,  is  esteemed  a  sovereign 
remedy  in  rheumatic,  and  many  other  complaints. 

The  water  of  a  small  lake  near  Naso  is  celebrated  for 
dyeing  black  every  thing  that  is  put  into  it ;  and  this  it  is 
said  to  perform  without  the  mixture  of  any  other  ingre- 
dient, although  the  water  itself  is  remarkably  pure  and 
transparent. 

They  have  a  variety  of  sulphureous  baths,  like  those 
near  Naples,  where  the  patient  is  thrown  into  a  profuse 
bweat,  only  from  the  heat  of  the  vapour.  The  most  cele- 
brated are  those  of  Sciaccia,  and  on  the  mountain  of  Colo- 
gero  ;  not  in  the  neighbourhood  of  -/Etna,  as  I  expected, 
but  at  a  great  distance  from  that  mountain.  But,  indeed, 
I  am  much  inclined  to  believe,  that  not  only  Mount  iEina, 
but  the  greatest  part  of  Sicily,  and  almost  the  whole  of  the 
circumjacent  islands,  have  been  originally  formed  by  sub- 
terraneous fire  ;  but  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  speak- 
ing more  largely  on  this  subject,  when  I  give  you  an  ac- 
count of  the  country  round  Naples. 

I  have  observed  lava,  pumice,  and  tufa,  in  many  parts  of 
Sicily,  at  a  great  distance  from  ^Etna  ;  and  there  are  a  va- 
riety both  of  mountains  and  valleys  that  still  emit  a  hot  va- 
pour, and  produce  springs  of  boiling  water. 

About  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  west  of  this  city,  at  a 
small  beach  where  we  often  go  a-swimming,  there  are  ma- 
ny springs  of  warm  water,  that  rise  even  within  the  sea  at 
the  depth  of  five  or  six  feet.  We  were  at  first  a  good  deal 
surprised  to  find  ourselves  almost  instantaneously  both  in 
the  hot  and  cold  bath  ;  for  at  one  stroke  we  commonly 
passed  through  the  hot  water,  w  hich  only  extends  for  a 
few  feet  around  the  spring.  It  gave  us  a  momentary 
glow,  and  produced  a  very  odd  uncouth  sensation,  by  no 
means  an  agreeable  one.  I  mentioned  this  singularity  to 
several  gentlemen  here,  who  tell  me  they  have  observed 
the  same  tiling. 

Not  a  great  way  from  this  is  a  celebrated  fountain,  cal- 
led //  Mar  Dolce^  where  there  are  some  remains  of  an  an- 
cient naumachia  ;  and  in  the  mountain  above  it,  they  shew 
you  a  cavern,  where  a  gigantic  skeleton  is  said  to  have 
been  found  :  however,  it  fell  to  dust  when  they  attempted 
to  remove  it: — Fazzello  says,  its  teeth  were  the  only  part 
*hat  resisted  the  impression  of  the  air  ;  that  he  procured 
A  a  2 


'i/O  A  Tour  through 

twoof  them,  and  that  they  weighed  near  two  ounces. — 
There  are  many  such  stories  to  be  met  with  in  the  Sicil- 
ian legends,  as  it  seems  to  be  an  universal  belief,  that  this 
island  was  once  inhabited  by  giants ;  but  although  we 
have  made  diligent  inquiry,  we  have  never  been  able  to 
procure  a  sight  of  any  of  these  gigantic  bcnes  which  are 
said  to  be  still  pressrved  in  many  parts  of  the  island.  Had 
there  been  any  foundation  for  this,  I  think  it  is  probable 
they  must  have  found  their  way  into  some  of  the  muse- 
\ims;  but  this  is  not  the  case;  nor  indeed  have  we  met 
with  any  person  of  sense  and  credibility  that  could  say 
rhey  had  seen  any  of  them.  We  had  been  assured  at  Na- 
ples, that  an  entire  skeleton,  upwards  of  ten  feet  high, 
was  preserved  in  the  museum  of  Palermo ;  but  there  is 
no  such  thing  there,  nor  I  believe  any  where  else  in  the 
island  —This  museum  is  well  furnished  both  with  an- 
tiques and  articles  of  natural  history,  but  is  not  superior  to 
what  we  ha\"ie  seen  inmany^other  places. 

The  number  of  souls  in  Palermo  are  computed  at  about 
1 50,000.  Those  of  the  whole  island,  by  the  last  numera- 
tion, amounted  to  1,123,163  ;  of  which  number  there  are 
about  50,000  that  belong  to  the  different  monasteries  and 
religious  orders.  The  number  of  houses  arc  computed  at 
368,120,  which  makes  betwixt  five  and  six  to  a  house. 

The  great  standing  commodity  of  Sicily,  which  has 
ever  constituted  the  riches  of  the  island,  was  their  crops 
of  wheat ;  but  they  cultivate  many  other  branches  of 
commerce,  though  none  that  could  bear  any  proportion  to 
this,  were  it  under  a  free  government,  and  exportation  al- 
lowed. Their  method  of  preserving  their  grain  will  ap- 
pear somewhat  singular  to  our  farmers :  instead  of  expos- 
ing: it)  as  we  do,  to  the  open  air,  they  are  at  the  greatest 
pains  to  exclude  it  entirely  from  it — In  many  places, 
where  the  soil  is  dry,  particularly  near  Agrige«tum,  they 
have  dug  large  pits  of  cave  in  the  rock.  These  open  by  a 
small  hole  at  top,  and  swell  to  a  great  width  below  ;  here 
»hey  pour  down  their  grain,  after  it  has  been  made  ex- 
ceedingly dry;  and  ramming  it  hard,  they  cover  up  the 
hole,  to  protect  it  from  rain  ;  and  they  assure  us  it  will 
preserve  in  this  manner  for  many  years. 

The  Soda  is  a  plant  which  is  much  cultivated,  and 
turns  out  to  considerable  account.  This  is  the  vegetable, 
that  by  the  action  of  fire,  is  afterwards  converted  intomir- 


Sicily  and  Malta.  271 

rors  and  crystals.  Great  quantities  of  it  are  sent  ever)- 
year  to  supply  the  glass-houses  at  Venice. — They  have 
likewise  a  considerable  trade  in  liquorice,  rice,  figs,  rai- 
sins, and  currants,  the  best  of  which  grow  amongst  the 
extinguished  volcanoes  oftheLipari  Islands.  Their  ho- 
ney is,  I  think,  the  highest  flavoured  I  have  ever  seen  ; 
in  some  parts  of  the  island  even  superior  to  that  of  Mi- 
norca :  this  is  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  quantity  of  aromatic 
plants,  with  which  this  beautiful  country  is  every  where 
overspread.  This  honey  is  gathered  three  months  in  the 
year  ;  July,  August,  and  October.  It  is  found  by  the 
peasants  in  the  hollows  of  trees  and  rocks ;  and  is  es- 
teemed of  a  superior  quality  to  that  produced  under  the 
tyranny  of  man. — The  country  of  the  lesser  Hybla  is 
still,  as  formerly,  the  part  of  the  island  that  is  most  cele- 
brated for  honey.  The  Count  Statela  made  us  a  present 
of  some  of  it,  gathered  on  his  brother  the  Prince  of  Spac- 
caforno's  estate,  which  lies  near  thfe  ruins  of  that  city. 

Sugar  is  now  no  article  of  the  Sicilian  commerce,  tho' 
a  small  quantity  of  it  is  still  manufactured  for  home  con- 
sumption ;  but  the  plantations  of  the  sugar-cane,  I  am 
told,  thrive  well  in  several  parts  of  the  island. 

The  juice  of  liquorice  is  prepared  both  here  and  in 
Calabria,  and  is  sent  to  the  northern  countries  of  Europe, 
where  it  is  used  for  colds. — The  juice  is  squeezed  out  of 
the  roots ;  after  which  it  is  boiled  to  a  consistency,  and 
formed  into  cakes,  which  are  packed  up  with  bay  leaves 
in  the  same  order  that  we  receive  them. 

In  some  of  the  northern  parts  of  the  island,  I  am  told, 
they  find  the  shell-fish  that  produces  a  kind  of  flax,  of 
which  gloves  and  stockings  are  made  ;  but  these  too  are 
found  in  greater  quantities  in  Calabria. 

Their  plantations  of  oranges,  lemons,  bergamots,  al- 
monds, &c.  produce  no  inconsiderable  branch  of  com- 
merce. The  pistachio-nut  toe  is  much  cultivated  in  ma- 
ny parts  of  the  island,  and  with  great  success.  These 
trees,  like  many  others,  are  male  and  female  :  the  male  is 
called  ScornobeccOf  and  is  always  barren ;  but  unless  a 
quantity  of  these  are  mixed  in  every  plantation,  the  pis- 
tachio-tree never  bears  a  nut. — But  of  all  the  variety  that 
is  cultivated  in  Sicily,  the  manna-tree  is  esteemed  the 
most  profitable  ;  it  resembles  the  ash,  and  is,  I  believe,  of 
that  species.     About  the  beginning  of  Augus;,  during  tht 


2I7Q  A  Tour  through 

season  of  the  greatest  heat,  they  make  an  incision  in  the 
bark,  near  to  the  root  of  the  tree ;  a  thick  whitish  liquor 
is  immediately  discharged  from  the  wound,  which  soon 
hardens  in  the  sun,  when  it  is  carefully  taken  off  and  gath- 
ered into  boxes.  They  renew  these  incisions  everyday 
during  the  season,  observing,  however,  only  to  wound  one 
side  of  the  tree  ;  the  other  side  they  reserve  for  the  sum- 
mer following. 

The  cantharides-fly  is  a  Sicilian  commodity  ;  it  is  found 
on  several  trees  of  ^Etna,  whose  juice  is  supposed  to  have 
a  corrosive  or  abstersive  quality,  particularly  the  pine  and 
the  fig-tree  ;  and  I  am  told  the  cantharides  of  Mount  ^^t- 
naare  reckoned  preferable  to  those  of  Spain. 

The  marbles  of  Sicily  would  afford  a  great  source  of 
opulence,  were  there  any  encouragement  to  work  the 
quarries :  of  these  they  have  an  infinite  variety,  and  of 
the  finest  sorts.  I  have  seen  some  of  them  little  inferior 
to  the  giall  and  verd  antique,  that  is  now  so  precious. — 
The  beautiful  yellow  columns  you  must  have  observed  in 
the  royal  chapel  of  Casserto  are  of  the  first  kind.  They 
have  likewise  some  that  very  much  resemble  lapiz  lazuli 
and  porphyry.  ^ 

At  Centorbi  they  find  a  kind  of  soft  stone  that  dis- 
solves in  water,  and  is  used  in  washing  instead  of  soap, 
from  which  property  it  is  called  Pietra  Safionaro.  They 
likewise  find  here,  as  well  as  in  Calabria,  the  celebrated 
stone,  which,  upon  being  watered  and  exposed  to  a  pretty 
violent  degree  of  heat,  produces  a  plentiful  crop  of  mush- 
rooms : — But  it  would  be  endless  to  give  you  an  account 
of  all  the  various  commodities  and  curious  productions 
of  this  island  ;  iEtna  alone  affords  a  greater  number  than 
many  of  the  most  extensive  kingdoms,  and  is  no  less  an 
epitome  of  the  whole  earth  in  its  soil  and  climate,  than 
in  the  variety  of  its  productions.  Besides  the  corn,  the 
wine,  the  oil,  the  silk,  the  spice,  and  delicious  fruits  of  its 
lower  region  ;  the  beautiful  forests,  the  flocks,  the  game, 
the  tar,  the  cork,  the  honey,  of  its  second  ;  the  snow  and 
ice  of  its  third  ;  it  affords  from  its  caverns  a  variety  of 
mineral  and  other  productions ;  cinnabar,  mercury,  sul- 
phur, allum,  nitre,  and  vitriol ;  so  that  rhis  wonderful 
mountain  at  the  same  time  produces  every  nescessary 
and  evelry  luxury  of  life. 

Its  first  region  covers  their  tables  with  all  the  ddica.- 


Sicily  and  Malta.  273 

cies  that  the  earth  produces ;  its  second  supplies  them 
with  game,  cheese,  butter,  honey ;  and  not  only  furnishes 
wood  of  every  kind  for  building  their  ships  and  houses, 
but  likewise  an  inexhaustible  store  of  excellent  fuel ;  and 
as  the  third  region,  with  its  ice  and  snow,  keeps  them 
fresh  and  cool  during  the  heat  of  summer,  so  this  con- 
tributes equally  to  keep  them  warm  and  comfortable 
during  the  cold  of  winter. 

Thus  you  see,  the  variety  of  climates  is  not  confined 
to  iEtna  itself;  but,  in  obedience  to  the  voice  of  man, 
descends  from  that  mountain  ;  and,  mingling  the  violence 
of  their  extremes,  diffuses  the  most  benign  influences  all 
over  the  island,  tempering  each  other  to  moderation,  and 
softening  the  rigours  of  every  season. 

We  are  not  then  to  be  surprised  at  the  obstinate  attach- 
ment of  the  people  to  this  mountain,  and  that  all  his  ter- 
rors have  not  been  able  to  drive  them  away  from  him  : 
for  although  he  sometimes  chastises,  yet,  like  an  indul- 
gent parent,  he  mixes  such  blessings  along  with  his  chas- 
tisements, that  their  affections  can  never  be  estranged;  for 
at  the  same  time  that  he  threatens  with  a  rod  of  iron,  he 
pours  down  upon  them  all  the  blessings  of  the  age  of  gold. 
Adieu.  We  are  now  going  to  pay  our  respects  to  the 
viceroy,  and  make  our  farewell  visits. — This  ceremony 
never  fails  to  throw  a  damp  on  my  spirits ;  but  1  have 
seldom  found  it  so  strong  as  at  present,  there  being  little 
or  no  probability  that  we  shall  ever  see  again  a  number  of 
worthy  people  we  are  just  now  going  to  take  leave  of;  or 
that  we  shall  ever  have  it  in  our  power  to  make  any  return 
for  the  many  civilities  we  have  received  from  them. 

Farewell.  The  wind  we  are  told  is  fair,  and  I  shall 
probably  be  the  bearer  of  this  to  the  continent,  from 
whence  you  nvay  soon  expect  to  hear  from,  &c. 


fiETTER  XXXVIII. 

jVafileSj  August  1 . 

FTER  two  days  delightful  sailing,  we  have  again 
arrived  at  thi^  city  ;  where,  to  our  infinite  joy,  we 


^.-a 
ti 


^74  A  Tour  through 

have  found  all  the  worthy  friends  we  had  left  behind  us. 
This  indeed  was  necessary,  to  wipe  out  the  impressions 
which  the  leaving  of  Sicily  had  occasioned.  We  shall 
still  remain  here,  at  least  for  three  months,  till  the  season 
of  the  Mai  Aria  is  entirely  over.  You  know  the  danger 
of  travelling  through  Campania  during  that  season ; 
which,  although  it  is  looked  upon  by  many  of  our  learned 
doctors  as  vulgar  error,  yet  we  certainly  shall  not  submit 
ourselves  to  the  experiment. 

We  propose  to  pass  the  winter  at  Rome,  where  we 
shall  probably  find  occupation  enough  for  four  or  five 
months. — From  thence  by  Loretto,  Bologna,  See.  to 
Venice,  the  old  beaten  tract  — We  shall  then  leave  the 
parched  fields  of  Italy,  for  the  delightful  cool  mountains 
of  Switzerland; — where  liberty  and  simplicity,  long  since 
banished  from  polished  nations,  still  flourish  in  their 
original  purity;  where  the  temperature  and  moderation 
of  the  climate,  and  that  of  the  inhabitants,  are  naturally 
emblematical  of  each  other. — For  whilst  other  nations 
are  scorched  by  the  heat  of  tl\fi  sun,  and  the  still  more 
scorching  heats  of  tyranny  and  superstition  ;  here  the 
genial  breezes  for  ever  fan  the  air,  and  heighten  that 
alacrity  and  joy  which  liberty  and  innocence  alone  can 
inspire; — here  the  genial  flow  of  the  soul  has  never  yet 
been  checked  by  the  idle  and  useless  refinements  of  art, 
but  opens  and  expands  itself  to  all  the  calls  of  affections 
and  benevolence. — But  I  must  not  stop.  You  know  my 
old  attachment  to  that  primitive  country. — It  never  fails 
to  run  away  with  me.  We  propose  then,  to  make  this 
the  scene  of  our  summer  pleasures  ;  and  by  that  time,  I 
can  foresee,  we  shall  be  heartily  tired  of  Art,  and  shall 
begin  again  to  languish  after  Nature.  It  is  she  alone  that 
can  give  any  real  or  lasting  pleasure,  and  in  all  our  pur- 
suits of  happiness,  if  she  is  not  our  guide,  we  never  can 
attain  our  end. 

Adieu,  my  dear  friend.  You  have  been  our  faithful  com- 
panion during  this  tour,  and  have  not  contributed  a  little 
to  its  pleasure.  If  it  has  afforded  equal  entertainment  to 
you,  we  shall  beg  of  you  still  to  accompany  us  through 
the  rest  of  our  travels.  A  man  must  have  a  miserable 
imagination  indeed,  that  can  be  in  solitude,  whilst  he  has 
such  friends  to  converse  with;  the  consideration  of  it 
soon  removes  the  mountains  and  seas  that  separate  us, 


Sicily  and  Malta,  275 

and  produces  those  sympathetic  feelings,  which  are  the 
only  equivalent  for  the  real  absence  of  a  friend  ;  for  I  never 
sit  down  to  write,  but  I  see  you  placed  on  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  table,  and  suppose  that  we  are  just  talking 
over  the  transactions  of  the  day.  And  without  your  pre- 
sence to  animate  me,  how  is  it  possible  that  I  could  have 
had  patience  to  write  these  enormous  epistles  ?  Adieu. 
We  are  soon  going  to  make  some  excursions  through  the 
kingdom  of  Naples ;  and  if  they  produce  any  thing  worthy 
of  your  observation,  we  must  beg  that  you  will  still  sub- 
mit to  be  one  of  the  party. 

I  ever  am, 

Most  sincerely  and  affectionately,  yours, 

PAT.  BRYDONE. 


*;■ 


■aR#w;*' 


.% 


Date  Due                             ^ 

NOV  6    ^JL 

' 

OCT  1  9  ^\ 

! 

Fonn  ;j35.     45M  8-37.                                                                                             ! 

^■::,.JS 


fft 


"  ^■■^■^71 


914. 58  B916T  308973 


